Jan Fabre

Born in Antwerp in 1958, the visionary Belgian artist Jan Fabre is a leading innovator and one of the most influential figures in the international contemporary art world. Known for his contributions to visual art, theater, and literature, he is the first living artist who was invited for large-scale solo exhibitions at prestigious institutions such as the Louvre Museum in Paris in 2008 and the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg in 2017. He remains the only artist to have received the honor of the Cour d’Honneur at the Festival of Avignon on three separate occasions (2001, 2003, and 2005), and the only contemporary artist commissioned to create a new work for the Felsenreitschule at the Salzburg Festival in 2007.

With his theatre company Troubleyn, Jan Fabre has been touring the world for over 40 years, presenting his groundbreaking productions at major leading theatres and international festivals, receiving worldwide acclaim. He has won over 50 international theatre, dance and visual arts awards and prizes. Fabre's unique place in the Western theatre canon was recently confirmed by his inclusion in the prestigious series The Great European Stage Directors (Methuen/Drama), overseen by the influential theatre historian Simon Shepherd. The series begins with Stanislavski and ends with Jan Fabre.

He describes himself as a ‘consilience artist’, a merging of elements from different disciplines guided by fact-based theory and practice across disciplines. In theater, he redefined performance art with his concept of ‘real action and real time’ evident in works like This is Theatre as was to be Expected and Foreseen (1982) and The Power of Theatrical Madness (1984). His internationally renowned masterpiece, the monumental 24-hour performance Mount Olympus – To glorify the cult of tragedy (2015), celebrated Greek tragedy’s essence, followed by Peak Mytikas (On the top of Mount Olympus) (2023). 

In visual art, Fabre’s symbolic use of materials like beetle wings, bone, and blood reveals his fascination with nature and spirituality. Permanent installations like Heaven of Delight at the Royal Palace of Brussels and The Man Who Measures the Clouds (1998) in global venues reflect his impact.

Beyond visual and performance art, Fabre is also a respected author. His numerous theater texts are highly regarded by theater directors, academics, and performers. His Jan Fabre Teaching Group promotes his method of ‘physiological acting’ to new generations, passing on his unique artistic language. Fabre’s daily reflections are captured in his ‘Night Diaries’ a series of personal and often poetic musings published in multiple languages.