20.03 › 29.09.2024
Folon Insolite
Autrique House Schaerbeek.
Until the end of September, Jean-Michel Folon is taking up residence in the majestic and intimate spaces of the Maison Autrique. From the basement to the attic, the building is brimming with works and objects of all kinds that the artist found while browsing flea markets, a lifelong passion of his. The kitchen features his collection of milk jugs, a number of toys can be found in the children’s bedroom, his overcoat and shoes are stored in the dressing room alongside the bedroom, letters and writings are on display in the office – a collection of finds and memories that were part of Folon’s everyday life and sparked his imagination.
This unprecedented and specially organised exhibition showcases a little-known and fascinating side of Folon, an artist who glorified the object and was keen to explore different media. Whereas many artists of the time were attracted to conceptual art, Folon explored traditional art techniques such as watercolour, sculpture, ceramics, aquatint and even tapestry.
A few words about the Maison Autrique
The Maison Autrique was created by Victor Horta (1861-1947) in 1893. It is a kind of missing link between his traditional Brussels houses and his iconic Art Nouveau creations. In 1893, having completing apprenticeships with Alphonse Balat, built a number of houses in Ghent and completed many different projects, Horta, then aged 32, received a commission to build a private house for his friend Eugène Autrique, an engineer with the Solvay company. This would be Victor Horta’s first private mansion. Some elements that the architect continually explored were already apparent: the first signs of a connection with the pavement, wall coverings of different thicknesses, the juxtaposition of symmetry and asymmetry and, of course, the use of metal and industrial materials.
An Autrique House exhibition in partnership with the Fondation Folon.
