From November 6 to December 6, 2026, the Galerie Espace Intermédiaire will be the stage for a major and unprecedented cultural event: the public unveiling, for the very first time, of the Trestieni Collection, a private Brussels-based collection dedicated to the masters of the Romanian neo-avant-garde. The official opening reception will take place on November 6, 2026, starting at 6:00 PM. This museum-quality exhibition brings together 11 historical works by three leading figures of the European art scene: • Paul Neagu (1938-2004) – A pioneer of conceptual art, performance, and tactile sculpture in Great Britain. • Horia Damian (1922-2012) – A master of monumental and metaphysical art, and a major figure of the École de Paris. • Constantin Flondor (born 1936) – Co-founder of the legendary SIGMA Group, and a pioneer of optical, kinetic, and Land Art in Eastern Europe. Why this event will stand out in the November cultural agenda: • A major revelation for institutions: The exhibition features the absolute world premiere of Skull (1973), a ceramic sculpture co-created by Paul Neagu and Edinburgh based ceramist Merilyn Smith depicting the artist's head. Its twin piece is now part of the permanent collection at Tate Modern in London. • A monumental masterpiece: Visitors will discover the metaphysical sculpture La Cité (1984, 2/8) by Horia Damian. Another work from this major historical series was exhibited at the Romanian Academy in February 2022, in the presence of the renowned art critic Radu Varia (co-creator of the Dalí Museum in Figueres). • International trajectories: The exhibition also unveils Wallachian Hyphen by Paul Neagu (previously exhibited at the National Museum of Art in Timișoara during the official retrospective for "Timișoara, European Capital of Culture") and three works from the Sigma period by Constantin Flondor, which have been showcased multiple times at Paris Photo. During the Nocturnes du Sablon in Brussels, from November 26 to 29, the gallery will host a series of cultural activities. Highlights include a unique dialogue between the compositions of Aurel Stroe — widely recognized as one of the leading figures of the 20th-century Romanian musical avant-garde — and the works on display. Given the extreme rarity of these pieces by Neagu, Damian, and Flondor, which have never been shown in Brussels, this event constitutes a major exclusivity for the November art calendar.
Hidden Treasures of the Neo-Avant-Garde: The Trestieni Collection Unveiled
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