Street art in Brussels to honour René Magritte's 125th birthday

In honour of the 125th birthday of surrealist artist and painter René Magritte, the City of Brussels launched a celebratory art trail on Friday.

Large installations around the city will pay homage to the painter's oeuvre, and renowned artist Julien de Casabianca will present eight murals between Place Brouckère and Place Royale.

These installations will be displayed from 30 June to 30 November and the murals until 7 January. The trail starts at Place Brouckère and runs along Rue au Beurre, Rue de l'Amigo, Rue Infante Isabelle and Mont des Arts to Place Royale. Whimsical giant clouds, suspended umbrellas and other trademark Magritte imagery can be found around the ​ Marolles quarter .

Aside from celebrating one of Belgium's most iconic artists, the city wants to highlight the Magritte Museum. "The Magritte museum is one of the best-known museums in Brussels and attracts 300,000 people a year: it is an asset for this city," says Philippe Close (PS), mayor of Brussels.

“It is an honour for Brussels to welcome an internationally renowned artist like Julien de Casabianca to put our iconic Belgian painter in the spotlight through his work. This initiative shows the modernity of a painter like Magritte."

"This free exhibition is more than an open-air tour," adds Delphine Houba, city councillor for Culture and Tourism. "It pays homage to one of the greatest Belgian and Brussels art figures."

The trail, called In Het Spoor Van Magritte (In Magritte's Footsteps) is a collaboration between the City of Brussels, the Magritte Foundation and the Magritte Museum.

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