Belgian artist Michael Borremans' solo exhibition The Promise debuted on April 9 at Prada Rong Zhai, a 1918 historic residence in Shanghai restored by luxury brand and reopened in October 2017.

One of the most renowned painters of his generation, Borremans, born in Belgium in 1963, depicts the human condition by creating ambiguous tension between his refined language and the portrayed subjects.

The Promise features 22 paintings by Borremans and one of his films showcased on the two main floors of the building. Upon entering the hall, visitors are immersed in a comfortable, intimate space furnished with custom-made furniture, showcasing the artist's aesthetic philosophy.

Upon further entry, visitors encounter a series of paintings depicting peculiar objects titled Mask, Missile, Alien, and Coloured Cones. The short film titled The Storm presents three motionless figures with the only changing element being light and its angles, offering a powerful visual narrative about posture and symbolism.

The exhibition on the second floor depicts unnamed individuals immersed in ambiguous and psychologically suggestive atmospheres, as seen in pieces like A2, The Bodies (1), and The Rug.

Interestingly, the artworks in the exhibition repeatedly present the portrayed figures' backs to the viewers. In A2, the back belongs to a truncated female figure. In Sti1, a well-dressed man stands in front of a curtain, bowing his head like a puppet or a captive. In The Ear, another female figure with braided hair stands with her back to the audience.

While Borremans occasionally draws inspiration for his paintings from existing images, more often he arranges models, props, and backgrounds, controls lighting and overall composition, and then captures the carefully planned scenes.

Though stemming from photography, his works depict a sensory and subjective reality, evoking an ineffable, ambiguous state of time and space.

Over the past two decades, the Belgian artist has also explored filmmaking. In his short films, everyday reality contrasts sharply with another dark parallel space. These works are based on the artist's sketches and paintings, resembling performances in the form of living paintings. His short films are "more rooted in sculpture than in painting".

Prada Rong Zhai achieves a dialogue between Eastern and Western traditions in its architecture and décor. Its spaces will enhance the sense of anachronism conveyed by Borremans' art. The exhibition will allow visitors to move freely around the different rooms and experience the multiple connections between history and the contemporary in his works, as well as a confrontation with the unique context of the early twentieth-century villa.

The exhibition runs until June 9.

Sources: shobserver.com, organizer of the exhibition