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A century of abstract artPublished on Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (http://www.eutrio.be)

A century of abstract art

The Ren Magritte Museum, situated in the painters house in Jette, is putting on an exhibitiondevoted to Belgian abstract art to coincide with the centenary of non-representational art in Europe(1910-2010). Around 40 masterpieces give a fine overview of representatives of this movement inBelgium, from the 1920s to the present day. Activities organised on the fringes of the exhibition willemphasise the exciting cross-fertilisation between these artists and other European countries.

Abstract art celebrates its 100th anniversary in Europe

This year, Europe celebrates the centenary of abstract art. The point of departure of the movement,which has been one of the most innovative in the history of art was a small watercolour producedby the painter Vassily Kandinsky in his studio in Germany in 1910. This work revolutionised art: no

longer did painters represent the appearance of things, but rather their mysterious essence and thesensibilities of our perception of them.

This humanist and innovative approach influenced many artists in Europe who suddenly abandonedfigurative art to take a step into the unknown. Each European country explored abstract art in itsown way through the work of avant-garde groups, the most influential of which were the GermanBauhaus, the De Stijl group in Holland, the Futurist movement in Italy and Cubism in France. Later,after the Second World War, abstract art rose from the ashes after long years of silence thanks to anew generation of artists. This time the groups were less homogeneous and artists moved from onecountry to another in response to meetings and exhibitions.

Belgium: a place to live and meet others

Belgium soaked up all these influences and was an important temporary home and meeting place,particularly around Antwerp and Brussels. The legendary modesty of Belgian abstract artists hasmeant that they are not as well known to foreign audiences as they should have been, despite theirpresence at historic exhibitions and the undoubted quality of their art. Some left Belgium to makecareers in other countries. Others chose to remain and contribute in silence to this pictorialrevolution. More foreign artists arrived to bolster the ranks of abstract artists in Belgium.

Abstract artists in the home of Ren Magritt

It is often forgotten that Ren Magritte, too, was attracted to avant-garde abstract art early in hiscareer. He began his career as a painter in the Cubist/Futurist style before embracing surrealism in1925. With Servranckx, Peeters, Flouquet, Maes, Baugniet and a few others, he was one of thepioneers of abstract art in Belgium. This exhibition, staged in the intimacy of the home of thesurrealist painter, reminds us of the close links that bound Magritte to abstract art. Through workschosen from the museums collection, this exhibition pays homage to 40 or more major artists whotook part in this (r)evolution of perception in Belgium.

Wednesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 6 pm

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