The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium unveil their artistic programme for the new season

In September, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (RMFAB) unveil a new, rich and engaging programme, continuing the rollout of their new visitor experience. Highlights include the opening of a new permanent room dedicated to modern and contemporary art—launched with the exhibition Georges Meurant meets Bonolo Kavula—, a second focus in the Spilliaert Room in dialogue with works on paper, and an exhibition exploring gender stereotypes in art.

Georges Meurant meets Bonolo Kavula
​From 7 October 2025 to 10 March 2026
​New permanent room of 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 South African artist Bonolo Kavula (b. 1992).

This is the first chapter of a new contemporary art programme, designed to establish 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—without ever copying them. It was their structured, constructed nature that informed his unique visual language. 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.

FRAGILE! Friable media on paper in fin-de-siècle Belgium
​From 19 November 2025 to 19 April 2026
​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 conservation and exhibition.

Since 2022, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium have been collaborating with KU Leuven (KUL), the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA), the National School of Visual Arts (ENSAV La Cambre), and the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam to study the preservation and care of these fragile works on paper. This second #Focus presentation in the Spilliaert Room will showcase a selection of the analysed works, accompanied by the results of the technical and material study.

Art and Gender Stereotypes
​From 19 November 2025 to 19 April 2026
​Permanent Collection Tour

From November 19, 2025, the RMFAB present Art and Gender Stereotypes, a project exploring gender stereotypes through works from the museum’s collections.

As part of Museum in Questions, launched in 2021, and the ongoing reflection on the reconfiguration of the collections, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (RMFAB) continue to engage with current societal debates.

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:

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium
​Rue de la Régence 3
​1000 Brussels
​https://fine-arts-museum.be/en

Press contact
​Club Paradis
​+32 (0)486 680 070
​micha@clubparadis.be

Roger Raveel, Couple Humain, 1968-1975, MRBAB, Bruxelles photo J. Geleyns - Art Photography Roger Raveel SABAM BelgiumBerthe Art, Les pavots rouges, MRBAB, Bruxelles, Photo J.Geleyns - Art Photography

Georges Meurant, Sans titre, 2019, MRBAB, Bruxelles photo, J.Geleyns - Art Photography