Inspired by the Belgian Surrealist
A snapshot of “Inspired by the Belgian Surrealist,” a static animated artwork combining photography, digital painting, collage, and animation. The piece captures the surreal tension between motion and stillness, reality and illusion, inspired by the works of René Magritte. It is minted as an NFT on the Ethereum blockchain. (Photo: Benoît Theunissen)
Inspired by the rich surrealist heritage of artists like René Magritte and the unique cultural landscape of my homeland Belgium, I created “Inspired by the Belgian Surrealist.” This piece blends photography, digital painting, and animation to explore the intersection between reality and the absurd.
Growing up in Belgium, surrealism is truly part of who I am. Even though the movement began in France, Belgium has deeply embraced it. This small country with its three languages and multiple identities is already a surreal mix.
Belgium is a patchwork of cultures and languages, with a complex institutional structure. Imagine a place where rules can change from one street to the next depending on the language region. This kind of oddity creates a daily life full of surprises and absurdities.
Belgians, masters of compromise, often find solutions that may seem illogical but are fascinating. This surreal spirit is also evident in Belgian urban planning, where traditional houses stand next to modern buildings without much planning. It’s this organized chaos that makes Belgium so unique and inspiring.
Celebrating 100 years of Belgian surrealism
This year, Brussels celebrated 100 years of Belgian surrealism with a remarkable exhibition at Bozar. The exhibit brought together iconic works that trace the history and evolution of surrealism in Belgium, highlighting artists like René Magritte. Magritte, with his visual paradoxes and play on perceptions, has always been a huge inspiration for me.
Inspired by this atmosphere, I created “Inspired by the Belgian Surrealist.” For this piece, I adopted an automatic approach to art, letting chance and the subconscious guide the creation. I used photography, digital painting, collage, and motion picture techniques to blur the lines between reality and imagination.
"Inspired by the Belgian Surrealist" is minted as an NFT. It features an owl with a pipe and bowler hat, set against a vibrant, abstract background. Combining photography, digital painting, collage, and animation, the piece captures the surreal tension between motion and stillness, reality and illusion, inspired by the works of René Magritte.
The central element, an owl with a pipe and a bowler hat, perfectly captures this unexpected juxtaposition. The foreground elements animate without moving, creating a tension between motion and stillness. The colorful, abstract background adds a dreamy atmosphere, reminiscent of the psychedelic settings in surrealist works.
Influence of René Magritte
René Magritte, one of Belgium’s greatest surrealists, deeply influenced this piece. Magritte loved to play with reality and illusion, and that’s the spirit I wanted to capture. His famous phrase “This is not a pipe” transforms in my work to “This is not an illusion,” a nod to his exploration of perception and paradox.
In essence, my work reflects Belgium’s unique ability to navigate between reality and the absurd. By this, I mean the ability to embrace contradictions, inconsistencies, and improbable situations in everyday life. This surreal essence is what I aimed to capture, a tribute to the culture that has so greatly influenced my creativity.