The global volunteer organisation Kiwanis Zaventem Airport is hosting its 29th art exhibition and sale at the Meise Botanic Garden from 22 until 24 September, showcasing 750 works of art from both established and emerging artists.
'Art Meets Nature' starts at 18:00 on Friday (today) and runs throughout the weekend. The hundreds of sculptures, paintings, installations and photographs are spread throughout the grounds of the botanical gardens, including in the imposing greenhouses and the 12th century Bouchout Castle.
There will be 30 artists present on each of the three days to speak with visitors and explain their work. Tickets have been temporarily lowered from the usual €12 to €5 to make the event more inclusive.
Artwork on display at the Meise Botanic Garden for Art Meets Nature. Credit: The Brussels Times / Margherita Bassi
"You can obviously find Cobbaert and Alechisnky in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts," Peter Trappeniers of Kiwanis Zaventem Airport told The Brussels Times, "But the difference is that here you can actually buy them."
In fact, every single artwork on display is for sale, from €500 up to the most expensive €95,000 piece. Other well-known names include Panamarenko, Roger Raveel and Karel Appel, as well as the "young masters of tomorrow" including Joachim Louis, Katy De Bock, Kim Vandaele and Francis Méan. The majority of the artists are Belgian and were handpicked by Kiwanis Zaventem Airport.
"We have two kinds of visitors: leisurely visitors and investors," Trappeniers explained. "The former come to enjoy the art and stroll through the beautiful grounds, and maybe buy some artwork for their apartments and homes. The latter come to make real investments in the industry."
The organisation is expecting some 5,000 visitors over the course of the three days, who will also have the opportunity to buy custom-labelled champagne bottles highlighting a selection of the exhibition's artwork.
Artwork on display at the Meise Botanic Garden for Art Meets Nature. Credit: The Brussels Times / Margherita Bassi
A percentage of the art sales will be donated to a series of charities dedicated to children and individuals with disabilities, as well as funding the installation of non-lingual panels throughout the botanical gardens to support children's education no matter what language they speak.
"The goal is to donate at least €30,000 by the end of the event, but hopefully more," Trappeniers concluded optimistically.
