ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Nicolas Party's Fourth Xavier Hufkens Show Explores Symbolist Novel

exhibition · 2026-05-22

In Brussels, Nicolas Party launches his fourth exhibition with Xavier Hufkens, named 'Toile d’araignée' (spider web). This showcase includes five unique collections of artwork organized in a series of rooms, establishing both visual and thematic links. The initial gallery showcases a groundbreaking collection of pastels inspired by Georges Rodenbach's 1892 Symbolist work 'Bruges-la-Morte', which prominently featured photographs. Party transitions from depicting architecture to exploring reflection, emphasizing water as forms dissolve and become indistinct, while bridges serve as reliable structural components.

Key facts

  • Nicolas Party presents his fourth exhibition with Xavier Hufkens in Brussels.
  • The exhibition is titled 'Toile d’araignée' (spider web).
  • Five distinct groups of works are shown, each occupying a specific spatial and conceptual position.
  • The presentation is structured as a sequence of rooms rather than a linear narrative.
  • The opening gallery features pastels based on images from Georges Rodenbach's novel 'Bruges-la-Morte' (1892).
  • 'Bruges-la-Morte' is a key Symbolist novel that incorporated photographs into the text.
  • Party uses cropping and abstraction to shift focus from architectural representation to reflection.
  • Water occupies a central role, causing shapes to dissolve, blur, and become amorphous.

Entities

Artists

  • Nicolas Party
  • Georges Rodenbach

Institutions

  • Xavier Hufkens

Locations

  • Brussels
  • Belgium

Sources