First Retrospective of Jacqueline Mesmaeker’s Work Outside Belgium

The book accompanies the solo exhibition, conceived by the Generali Foundation Collection – on permanent loan to the Museum der Moderne Salzburg – which is the first retrospective of the artist’s work outside Belgium. The foundations of the exhibition were established in collaboration with the artist before her passing in late 2023. The exhibition presents key works by Jacqueline Mesmaeker from all areas of her artistic practice.

The extraordinary work of Belgian artist Jacqueline Mesmaeker (1929–2023, Brussels, BE) combines poetic sensitivity with conceptual thinking. She began her career in the fields of fashion, design, and architecture. From the 1970s onwards, she developed the works for which she is known today, realizing them across various media. Her œuvre includes sculptures and sculptural interventions as well as painting and drawing, photography, film and video, and language and text. A fundamental aspect of her work is a delicate awareness of the existential processes of remembering and forgetting, as well as the psychological, political, and aesthetic significance of the subtle and the hidden.

Mesmaeker experimented with different levels of space, time, and imagery, as well as with signs and symbolic languages, creating new and unexpected interconnections. Her works frequently reference selected literary sources and engage with political and historical contexts.

Mesmaeker taught for many years at renowned Belgian art universities. However, for a long time, she remained overshadowed by her male artist colleagues, not least due to her reservations about the art market. In recent years, her work—pursued consistently over five decades—has received extraordinary recognition. Today, Mesmaeker is considered a key figure in the Belgian art scene, alongside Marcel Broodthaers and Joëlle Tuerlinckx.