21.05 2025 > 19.10 2025
Saul Steinberg. The Americans. Expo ’58 revisited
TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS AREA +1
Saul Steinberg (Ramnicu Sarat 1914 – New York 1999) demonstrated an exceptional example of his artistic talents for the American Pavilion at the 1958 World’s Fair in Brussels. In a giant collage inspired by the “American way of life”, he was able to fully unleash his creativity. After the World’s Fair closed, The Americans was acquired by the Belgian state and preserved at the RMFAB. In spring 2025, three series of panels presented here served as the backdrop for a press event by Maison Delvaux during the Paris Fashion Week. Maison Delvaux received the works as an exceptional loan as a Diamond member of the RMFAB Corporate Club. In this context, Maison Delvaux contributes to the restoration of these panels as well as the panels of the five other series, all of which will be restored to their full splendour.
21.05 2025 > 19.10 2025
Léon Spilliaert, Be.PAPER & Ensor intime
SPILLIAERT ROOM
A selection of works on paper by the Belgian artist Léon Spilliaert will be presented on rotation in a fully renovated 120m2 gallery, now reopened to visitors. This newly dedicated space also hosts the presentation Be.PAPER, which explores mainly the discovery and renewal of Belgian works on paper during the interwar period (1918-1950). Léon Spilliaert (Ostend, 1881 – Brussels, 1946), whose work was created almost exclusively on paper, holds a prominent place in the collection of the RMFAB. Most of the pieces were acquired directly from the artist and his family. In tribute to this legacy, the gallery now bearing his name is dedicated to modern works on paper (from the 19th century to the present). The gallery also features the remarkable Rousseau Album from the RMFAB collections, an extraordinary compilation of personal letters and drawings by James Ensor addressed to the Rousseau family in Brussels. Now extremely delicate, the album was recently restored through a crowdfunding campaign, carried out in collaboration with the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR).
21.05 2025 > 01.03 2026
Contemporary Art – Overview of recent acquisitions
ROOM 54
This display previews the return of the contemporary art collection to the permanent route of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. It also clarifies the guiding principles for acquisitions of works produced from the mid-1960s up to the present day, such as strengthening the presence of female artists, who remain largely underrepresented despite their decisive influence on the development of contemporary art from its beginnings. It is also essential to give greater visibility to artists from regions outside of Europe, as the history of contemporary art is now more than ever written on a global scale. In a world marked by tensions, uncertainties and questions, societal issues also serve as a common thread. The RMFAB wishes to express their deep gratitude to the patrons and artists who have made it possible to integrate news works into the collection.
07.10 2025 > 08.03 2026
Georges Meurant meets Bonolo Kavula
New permanent hall for modern and contemporary art
In a new permanent room dedicated to modern and contemporary art – where displays will change twice a year – the RMFAB present their first exhibition devoted to the Belgian painter Georges Meurant (1948-2023) alongside with the South African artist Bonolo Kavula (born in 1992). It consists in establishing a dialogue between works from the RMFAB collection and pieces from external collections. Georges Meurant, a great connoisseur of Kasai embroidery,developed a pictorial practice inspired by its motifs but without ever copying them. Bonolo Kavula’s works, at the intersection of embroidery, sculpture and installation,resonates with Meurant’s practice and with textile art more broadly. Her vibrant yet subdued compositions, both minimal and complex, rely on repetition and seriality. This encounter invites reflection on the relationship between traditional African art and the work of a Western painter challenging notions of cultural appropriation through thoughtful dialogue.
19.11 2025 > 19.04 2026
Fragile ! Friable medias on paper in the fin-de-siècle
SPILLIAERT ROOM (# FOCUS2)
The new Spilliaert room, dedicated to modern works on paper, presents the research project FRIABLE. Around twenty drawings from the collection will be on display, offering the public insight into the results of this innovative four-year study. Around 1900, the use of pastel and other powdery drawing materials experienced a revival, including within the Belgian art scene. Artists such as Henry De Groux, Berthe Art, Georges Lemmen and Léon Spilliaert embraced pastel, pencil and charcoal with enthusiasm – whether for quick sketches, intimate drawings or large-scale standalone works. Fragile by nature, these pieces now present significant challenges in terms of conversation and exhibition.
19.11 2025 > 19.04 2026
ART X GENDER
Permanent Collection Tour
The display aims to explore how gender stereotypes influence artistic representation. Conceived as a dynamic space for research and exchange, the selection invites visitors to question their own perceptions and to actively engage in a collective reflection on norms, identities and roles associated with each “sex” – while also challenging the binary itself.
On the program >