KMSKA LATE - Curator talk - Xavier Canonne

In 1938, René Magritte gave a lecture at the KMSKA on his vision of reality. He discussed the origins and development of his art, and the history of the surrealist movement in Belgium. Entitled La ligne de vie, this lecture, the second after that given at the International Exhibition of Surrealism in London, was the most important Magritte ever gave on his work.

In the exhibition Magritte. La ligne de vie, you will discover a selection of works that were also highlighted during the lecture. It also takes a closer look at Magritte as a connecting figure between surrealism in Antwerp and Brussels. That Antwerp connection brings us to surrealists such as Marcel Mariën and Léo Dohmen.

Xavier Canonne is a Belgian art historian and author specialising in photography and surrealism. He studied at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Sorbonne, where he obtained a PhD in art history. Since 2000, he has been director of the Musée de la Photographie in Charleroi, one of the most important photography museums in Europe. Canonne has published numerous books and essays on Belgian surrealism and modern visual culture, and is considered a leading expert in the field.