From May 16 to August 31, 2025, the Grand Curtius hosts the exhibition “AIPOTU”, dedicated to the artist Françoise Schein.

Exhibition: “Françoise Schein. AIPOTU. A Portrait in Reverse”

Born in Brussels in 1953, this committed visual artist is known for her monumental interventions, blending architecture and art, ceramic murals, and other public works that create a network across cities worldwide, including Brussels, Liège, Paris, Lisbon, Berlin, Stockholm, London, New York, Ramallah, Haifa, Haiti, Barcelona, and Rio de Janeiro.

What is less known is that she also develops a parallel and intimate body of work, which contrasts with the grandeur of her urban interventions. Some of these works—delicate line drawings and finely contoured sculptures, most of them previously unseen—are presented here.

Appreciating the connection, the very interdependence, between these two facets of Françoise Schein’s work is a rare opportunity that offers a profound insight into her artistic journey. This presentation is further enriched by elements of her intellectual process: notes, essays, sketches, and interviews that shed light on the evolution of her artistic thought.

And what is this vision that the artist portrays—often with ceramic tiles—across the four corners of the world? An idea that some might call utopian, yet one that Françoise tirelessly pursues: inscribing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on the walls of cities.

By incorporating a participatory dimension into some of her projects, engaging a wide audience—particularly young people—she raises awareness while fostering the next generation. She not only expands the boundaries of art by investing in public spaces but also challenges the political and social frontiers of the artistic world. Her work defies definition, skillfully blending genres and formats, drawing from all forms and scales, combining aesthetics with ethics, fantasy with history—and above all, intertwining individual intimate experiences with what is universal in humanity.

Curators:

Betina Zalcberg, Lohana Schein

This exhibition is produced by the Cellule Architecture of the Secretary-General of Wallonia-Brussels Federation, in partnership with the Grand Curtius and the artist Françoise Schein.

Publication

A bilingual FR/NL book accompanies the exhibition:
Zalcberg, Betina. Françoise Schein. AIPOTU. Un portrait à rebours / A Portrait in Reverse.
Published by Cellule Architecture de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Brussels, 2025
ISBN: 978-2-930705-53-8

Practical Information

Grand Curtius Museum – Féronstrée 136, 4000 Liège
May 16 – August 31, 2025
Monday to Sunday: 10 AM – 6 PM (closed on Tuesdays)
Ticket prices and reservations: More information coming soon