In 1956, the Belgian artists’ group Formes was founded by Jo Delahaut, Guy Vandenbranden, Jean Rets, Kurt Lewy, Victor Noël, Paul Van Hoeydonck and Francine Holley. The group emerged from the earlier collective Art Abstrait (1952), which played a key role in shaping post-war abstract art in Belgium and positioning it within an international context.
While Art Abstrait brought together a broad range of abstract practices, Formes pursued a more rigorous and focused direction. Its members developed a clear and constructive visual language based on geometry, colour and structure, aligning their work with the international movements of concrete and constructivist art.
On the occasion of Antwerp Art Weekend, Callewaert Vanlangendonck revisits this pivotal moment in Belgian art history. The exhibition brings together works by Pol Bury, Georges Collignon, Jo Delahaut, Francine Holley, Kurt Lewy, Jean Milo, Victor Noël, Jean Rets, Léopold Plomteux, Ray Gilles, Stella Van der Auwera, Guy Vandenbranden and Paul Van Hoeydonck.
Special attention is given to Francine Holley and Stella Van der Auwera, two significant yet often under-recognised female voices within post-war abstraction.
