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 >