Michaël Borremans: The Monkey

Presenting the Belgian artist Michaël Borremans’s newest group of psychologically charged paintings, this catalogue highlights his exceptional technical skill, interest in figuration, and innovative approach to mise-en-scène. "Everything is a self-portrait. And now I have been painting monkeys. . . . It’s like making a movie." —Michaël Borremans, Interview magazine As a pendant to his acclaimed catalogue The Acrobat, The Monkey showcases seventeen paintings that reveal his interest in exploring surface and artifice. Borremans portrays mysterious sitters—including the titular monkeys, which are glazed toy figurines—and depicts enigmatic scenes that simultaneously invite viewers in and keep them at bay. Katya Tylevich’s insightful commentary delves into the depths of Borremans’s compositions, connecting the themes and motifs in The Monkey to those present in previous bodies of work. Tylevich delves into the complex emotional and art-historical registers at play in the artist’s new paintings and maps the trajectory of his practice, observing other instances of repetition and fabulation across his practice. The publication, featuring this essay alongside beautifully illustrated images of the new paintings, serves as the ideal complement to the artist’s 2024 exhibition at David Zwirner, London.