NEUVIEME ART
NEUVIEME ART is an annual event that brings together galleries, institutions, collectors, experts and enthusiasts to showcase original creations from the worlds of illustration, comics and manga.
NEUVIEME ART is designed around an original, multi-faceted format that takes comics far beyond the box. It's an original exploration of the 9th art form, offering a wide-ranging, no-holds-barred look at the diversity and richness of contemporary practices.
Ambitions
- To develop a benchmark event to promote and defend 9th art in the heart of Brussels, the cradle and capital of the comic strip.
- To bring together artistic institutions and establish creative dialogues with all those involved in the 9th art.
- Support artists by facilitating access to original works and promoting their acquisitions within collections.
- Encourage ambitious programming (exhibitions, conferences, meetings, performances, etc.) highlighting the topicality, influences and resonances of narrative drawing across other artistic disciplines.
- Encourage the creation of collaborative projects between artists, galleries, collectors, experts and institutions.
Focus on the 9th art
The 9ᵉ art refers to the world of comics. The expression first appeared in 1964 under the pen of film critic Claude Beylie, before being popularised by Morris, the creator of Lucky Luke, and Pierre Vankeer in the magazine Neuvième Art - Musée de la bande dessinée.
Since then, the term has come to designate a rich and multifaceted universe, at the crossroads of drawing, storytelling and visual culture. Like film, photography and the visual arts, comics now enjoy international recognition: popular, institutional and museum-based.
Artistic recognition and a growing market
Original drawings and plates by artists from the worlds of Comics (USA), Manga (Asia) and European Comics have gradually found their place in the art world. From the 2000s onwards, auctions began to put the spotlight on these works, actively contributing to their valuation.
Today, 9ᵉ art is structured around specialist galleries that are demanding and committed to promoting their artists and making a lasting mark on the contemporary art landscape.
Hôtel des Douanes
Hôtel des Douanes - A historic setting for NEUVIÈME ART Brussels
Located in the heart of the emblematic Tour & Taxis site, the Hôtel des Douanes is an architectural jewel where heritage and modernity meet. Designed by architect Ernest Van Humbeek and completed in 1907, this historic building retains all the splendour of its era, with steel columns, refined woodwork, granite staircases and a spectacular glass-roofed banking hall.
Recently refurbished in a way that combines sustainability and circularity, the Hôtel des Douanes is fully in tune with contemporary issues, while paying tribute to its architectural heritage. Today it offers a singular space, where responsible innovation enhances the history of the place.
At the crossroads of different eras, this exceptional setting is home to NEUVIEME ART Brussels, offering visitors a unique immersion in the world of comics, in a place steeped in history. Its majestic atrium, bathed in natural light, sublimates the works on display and creates an atmosphere conducive to artistic discovery and emotion.
Ideally located just a stone's throw from the Gare Maritime - a major venue for the BD Comic Strip Festival, which attracts over 60,000 visitors every year - the Hôtel des Douanes encourages meetings and synergies between enthusiasts, collectors, professionals and the curious.
Founders
The duo behind NEUVIÈME ART Brussels
NEUVIÈME ART is run by a Franco-Belgian duo: Jean-Marc Dimanche (FR) and Gilles Parmentier (BE). Together, they are developing ambitious artistic projects, such as ceramic brussels, the first international contemporary art fair devoted to ceramics, to be launched in Brussels in January 2024.
Gilles Parmentier (BE) :
After running the Art on Paper fair (2018-2024), dedicated to contemporary drawing in Brussels, for six editions, Gilles Parmentier also initiated Brussels Drawing Week, in collaboration with the city's cultural institutions.
Co-founder of ceramic brussels, he is currently preparing the third edition, to be held in Brussels from 21 to 25 January 2026. Together with Jean-Marc Dimanche, he is also developing Manifest Paris by ceramic brussels, a capsule exhibition to be held during Art Week in Paris, from 20 to 25 October 2025.
Jean-Marc Dimanche (FR) :
An independent curator, Jean-Marc Dimanche is co-curator of the Grandeur Nature biennial, an exhibition of contemporary sculptures in the gardens of the Château de Fontainebleau, and co-founder of ceramic brussels.
After founding and running the design agency V.I.T.R.I.O.L. for 20 years, in 2008 he and Florence Guillier-Bernard set up the Maison Parisienne gallery, dedicated to French arts and crafts. Since 2016, he has been general curator of the De Mains De Maîtres Luxembourg Biennial, launched at the initiative of HRH the Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.
Between 2019 and 2022, he also directed ELEVEN STEENS, a private space in Brussels dedicated to art and materials, and contributed to the Revue de la Céramique et du Verre.
Team
Julie Alluin
Event coordinator
julie@neuvieme-art.brussels
+32 472 45 35 49
Odile Collard
Event assistant
info@neuvieme-art.brussels
+32 471 21 55 95
Léonie Lefere
Graphic designer
leonie@ceramic.brussels
Gilles Parmentier
Co-Director
gilles@neuvieme-art.brussels
+32 476 91 07 87
Jean-Marc Dimanche
Co-Director
jean-marc@neuvieme-art.brussels
+33 6 16 24 08 28
Collaborators
Sophie Carrée PR
Public & press relations Benelux & press relations
press@sophiecarree.be
sophiecarree.com
Coraline Walravens - Agence Levens
Public & press relations Benelux & press relations
coraline@agencelevens.be
www.agencelevens.be
Pam&Jenny
Graphic identity
pametjenny.be
Yours sincerely
Web development
contact@bienavous.be
bienavous.be
Art Fair Service
Art walls production & installation
info@artfairsservice.com
www.artfairsservice.com
GSP2
Production, light & sound
info@gsp2.be
www.gsp2.be
Olivier De Roeck
Set design
Stéphane Despa
Production & logistic supervisor
