FAB Paris

At FAB Paris 2024, the Maurice Verbaet Gallery presented a carefully curated selection from its extensive collection, offering an in-depth view of Belgian post-war art (1945–1975) to an international audience. The presentation was conceived as a structured and immersive display, closer to a museum-quality exhibition than a conventional fair booth, highlighting the richness and diversity of artistic practices in Belgium during this period.

The selection brought together major figures of abstraction, surrealism, and pop-influenced practices, emphasizing the experimental spirit that characterized the post-war decades. Particular attention was given to artists who expanded the boundaries of medium and form, such as TAPTA, whose innovative textile-based works challenged traditional distinctions between sculpture and tapestry, 

A striking feature of the presentation was a dedicated corner focusing on the explicit works of Marcel Mariën. This segment underscored the provocative and subversive dimension of Belgian surrealism, revealing a lesser-seen aspect of Mariën’s oeuvre that confronts themes of desire, censorship, and visual transgression with both wit and radicality. 

The presentation also acknowledged the importance of artists such as Jean Rustin, whose deeply introspective and uncompromising figurative paintings offer a powerful counterpoint to abstraction. Rustin’s work, marked by its raw emotional intensity and existential focus, resonates strongly within the broader narrative of post-war European art, reinforcing the dialogue between Belgian practices and wider international developments.