Resonance with Folon / The Nature of Belgium

Following an invitation from the foundation of Jean-Michel Folon (1934-2005), a leading artist representing Belgium in the second half of the 20th century, my solo exhibition, "Kengo Kuma. Architecture in dialogue," is being held at his museum located inside a forest on the outskirts of Brussels. The team at the Folon Foundation reached out to me with passion because they felt a poetic universe similar to Folon's in my work, which prompted my first visit to the museum. I fell in love at first sight with its appearance. It is a simple, old farmhouse standing in the middle of a green environment where cows graze, and this farmhouse is used as the museum. Inside the attic space of this farmhouse, we displayed a selection of models, mockups, and an actual teahouse. The exhibition runs until 13 September 2026.

This exhibition turned out to be one of the most heartwarming ones I have ever done. Inside the small attic space, where the old wooden framework that originally supported the farmhouse roof is exposed, we arranged the wooden models that the foundation team loved. Around them, we hung soft, transparent fabrics printed with photographs and drawings. Because the space itself is small and various images overlap through the transparency, it created a mysterious place where everything seemed layered, including the farmhouse, Folon, myself, Belgium, and Japan. It was truly a place worthy of the title "dialogue," where Folon's poetic universe and my poetic universe resonated with each other. Coincidentally, this year marks the 160th anniversary of Belgium-Japan friendship, celebrating the bond between these two small yet highly diverse nations. It was a special day, making me feel as if some power in the sky had gathered everyone together under a single attic roof.

The next morning, I was guided through the old home of René Magritte (1898-1967), a leading artist of Belgium from the first half of the 20th century, which has been converted into a museum in downtown Brussels (photo). It was an ordinary, small townhouse, and in terms of its smallness and simplicity, it was just as impressive as Folon's farmhouse attic.

In front of the house stood an ordinary streetlight, just like the ones he often painted. I was told that Magritte continued to paint in the tiny kitchen at the very back of this small house. Beyond that kitchen, there was a modest green garden, which was very charming. Having a small courtyard garden at the back of a narrow townhouse is a layout also found in traditional Kyoto townhouses, and it seemed to symbolize a connection between Japan and Belgium. That courtyard garden connected to the sky far above, and looking up at that small blue sky, I remembered my favorite poster combining a blue sky and the silhouette of a bird, which he painted for Sabena Airlines, the now-defunct airline (photo).

Both Magritte and Folon shared the feeling that the repetition of small everyday routines connects to something grand and important. Because they possessed this sense, they were probably able to keep creating their works for so long. I learned from these two Belgian artists how wonderful it is that small things and big things connect.