Michaël Borremans and French Painting in Paris
Published on 08/26/2026 at 11:03 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Michaël Borremans extends his Paris moment through French Painting, the 2026 exhibition of new works at David Zwirner. The gallery's exhibition page states that the show ran from June 5 to July 22, 2026, and marked his first solo show in France in twenty years.
The Paris show
David Zwirner's exhibition page identifies French Painting as Borremans' ninth solo presentation with the gallery and its first at the Paris location. It also gives the opening reception as Friday, June 5, 6-8 PM.
The installation centers on new oil paintings, including French Painting, Nina, Magnolia Flowers, and Phantom. The gallery frames them as a deliberate unsettled dialogue with the French pictorial tradition.
The 2026 painting cycle
That framing matters because Borremans has long worked by tension rather than declaration. David Zwirner describes his practice as one that resists immediate interpretation and keeps representation unstable.
Here, the Paris cycle pushes that logic through classically weighted still lifes, portraits, and objects. The works keep their surfaces controlled while their imagery stays psychologically uneasy.
More news and background on Michaël Borremans
Exhibitions, collections, and studio context around the Belgian painter in one place.
How the work reads
Borremans works across painting, drawing, film, and sculpture, but painting remains the sharpest lens on his position. David Zwirner notes that he was born in 1963 in Geraardsbergen and continues to live and work in Ghent.
His key work groups at the gallery include French Painting, The Monkey, The Acrobat, Fire from the Sun, and Black Mould. The sequence shows a practice built on recurring figures, staged objects, and controlled ambiguity.
What comes next
As of August 26, 2026, there is currently no announced date in the 30-day window.
Key facts on Michaël Borremans
- Artist: Michaël Borremans
- Medium / Genre: Painting (figurative), drawing, film, sculpture
- Born: 1963, Geraardsbergen, Belgium
- Place(s) of practice: Ghent, Belgium
- Active since: 1990s
- Key work groups: French Painting, The Monkey, The Acrobat, Fire from the Sun
- Current/last exhibition: French Painting, David Zwirner Paris, June 5-July 22, 2026
- Major collections: The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Dallas Museum of Art; Cleveland Museum of Art; Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst, Ghent
- Awards:
- Next date: currently no announced date in the 30-day window
Frequently asked questions about Michaël Borremans
Where was Michaël Borremans last on view?
French Painting ran at David Zwirner Paris from June 5 to July 22, 2026, according to the gallery's exhibition page.
What defines Michaël Borremans' recent painting cycle?
The 2026 Paris show focuses on controlled, unsettling oil paintings that move between portraiture, still life, and pictorial history.
Which collections hold work by Michaël Borremans?
David Zwirner lists The Museum of Modern Art, New York; Dallas Museum of Art; Cleveland Museum of Art; and Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst, Ghent.
This article was produced with a.i. support and editorially reviewed. All statements without guarantee; auction results, exhibition dates and awards may change at short notice.
