Comès. Of Shadow and Silence

Didier Comès is one of the major authors of the Belgian comic strip, a master of black and white and fantasy.

He enjoyed dazzling success in the early 1980s with a graphic novel that left its mark on a whole generation of readers, Silence. The story of this simple-minded deaf-mute exploited by the landowners of Beausonge and whom a witch will awaken to consciousness, is intertwined with the character of Comès, marked by all forms of rejection, exclusion and violence, whether rural or urban.

Master of silences, Comès passed away in 2013, without ever receiving the honours of a major exhibition in Brussels. Thanks to the Comès Fund of the King Baudouin Foundation, people will be able to discover or rediscover this work of art through exclusively silent boards and a staging designed in harmony with the venue.

Originals of Corto Maltese, the most famous comic strip by Hugo Pratt – a great friend of Comès and a fervent defender of silent boxes – will also be presented, as will those of an author who has often been presented as the spiritual son of Didier Comès, Christophe Chabouté.

The exhibition is an initiative of the King Baudouin Foundation to promote the artistic heritage of Dider Comès, as part of the donation of his work by his brothers and sisters, and is curated by Thierry Bellefroid and Eric Dubois.

Online reservation required via the following link: https://www.belvue.be/en/expoComes.

Free virtual visit available in Dutch, English and French: https://app.belvue.be/.