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FONDATION FOLON
A Foray to the Folon Foundation
Brussels
Useful information
Fondation Folon
6A Drève de la Ramée
La Hulpe
+ 32 (0) 26532456
www.fondationfolon.be
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Twenty minutes from Brussels, Parc Solvay boasts a little corner of paradise. The farm at Château de la Hulpe, built in 1833, is the site of the Folon Foundation, which sticks out like a jack-in-the-box. It houses a unique collection by an artist whose poetry is on a first-name basis with magic.
Follow the rabbit
I had been advised to visit Parc Solvay, so when I had some time I decided to take the train to La Hulpe to see if all the good things I had heard were true. A 20-minute train journey later, and I came face-to-face with a rabbit at the entrance to the park.
A magical atmosphere
He was in no rush. Nor was I. Time stood still for a moment. Following his little hops, I found myself on paths along magnificent ponds, where I spotted squirrels, carp, ducks and pheasants. A whole other world awaited me at the next bend. We plunged into the dark undergrowth and a few steps later, the Château’s farm appeared before me.
Poetic wonders
At last, I was at the Folon foundation, where I would discover an artist I identified with the unusual credits he used to produce for the French state channel Antenne 2. Having bought my ticket at the desk, I was swept away. A giant book showed me the way to another world, with more than 500 works of art to titillate the eye. Watercolours, sculptures, art prints and visual effects... a lyrical flight of fancy in which Jean-Michel Folon displays “his dreams” on paper. This work is at once poetic, refined and political. It is full of mischief and beauty. The rabbit had stayed around but now abandoned me. I fell silent, as though in a waking dream.
Gabriel, 32 TENNIS PRO
I teach tennis in the city and also write about culture for a number of publications. I love to travel and meet people. My city? It's an improv concert in a down-to-earth bar, an exhibition built on a work site, a play performed in the heart of the old city... My little extra: combining sport and culture!
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