The secondary art market gallery MARGAUX focuses predominantly on modern Belgian artists in media as diverse as painting, photography, and sculpture. For its participation in the 14th Syntr’art fair, it invests Reset Atelier’s space by inviting you to Grayscale with a dollop of maroon.

Why that title? In art, grayscale is composed exclusively of shades of gray. The contrast ranges from black at the weakest intensity to white at the strongest. Not only is it a favourite of photographers, also most contemporary art galleries are fans,

White cubes though have not always been the case. The National Gallery in London e.g. was among the earliest museums to reject stacked “salon hangs” in favour of sparer displays allowing better contemplation of individual paintings. Consequently, the colour of the gallery walls would gain a new importance. Whereas greyish green was the neutral choice before this, maroon and crimson came to dominate the 19th-century gallery.

So why not combine the best of both worlds? There will be a monochrome framed in aluminum by the photographer Betthina Rheims on view. Also a work by Roger Somville in white ink on black paper. Last but not least, since the art world celebrates the 100th anniversary of the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris, which is considered the event that launched Art Deco as a global style, Maurice Prost’s iconic art-deco sculpture “The walking panther” will be exhibited on a maroon pedestal.

 

Bettina Rheims

Bettina Rheims (born 1952) is a French photographer known for her provocative and intimate portraits, often exploring themes of femininity, gender, and identity. She began her career in 1978, photographing strip-tease artists and acrobats, which led to her first exhibitions. Her notable works include Female Trouble (1989), Modern Lovers (1990), and Chambre Close (1992), a collaboration with writer Serge Bramly. Rheims has photographed celebrities, fashion models, and political figures, including the official portrait of former French President Jacques Chirac. Her work has been exhibited at the Centre Pompidou, the Museum of Modern Art in Frankfurt, and the Moderna Museet in Stockholm2.

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Roger Somville

Roger Somville (1923–2014) was a Belgian painter known for his expressive and monumental style, advocating realism against abstract art. He studied at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels and later at La Cambre. Somville co-founded the Centre de Rénovation de la Tapisserie de Tournai and Forces Murales, promoting public art. His major works include Notre Temps (600m² mural at Hankar metro station, Brussels) and Qu'est-ce qu'un intellectuel (400m² mural at the Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve). He was a director at the Académie des Beaux-Arts de Watermael-Boitsfort and received several awards, including the Prix Koopal4.

 

Maurice Prost

Maurice Prost (1894–1967) was a French sculptor specializing in animal figures. Initially trained as a jeweler, he turned to sculpture after losing his left arm in World War I. He studied under Léopold Morice and Charles Valton, focusing on direct carving techniques. Prost exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français and the Salon d'Automne, earning a gold medal in 1963. His notable works include Les Sangliers and Panthère Noire, showcased at the Exposition Coloniale of 1931. He was awarded the Légion d'Honneur and the Médaille Militaire for his contributions to art and his wartime.

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Félicien Rops

Félicien Rops (1833–1898) was a Belgian artist associated with Symbolism and the Decadent movement. He was a painter, illustrator, and printmaker, known for his dark, erotic, and satirical works. Rops studied at the Académie de Saint-Luc in Brussels and gained recognition for his lithographs in student magazines. He collaborated with writers such as Charles Baudelaire and Paul Verlaine, illustrating Les Diaboliques and Les Fleurs du Mal. His famous works include Pornocrates and Les Sataniques. Rops was a founding member of Les XX, a revolutionary art society in Brussels.

 

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