The City of Mons presents Marc Chagall. Matières at CAP, a major exhibition that offers a fresh perspective on one of the twentieth century’s most celebrated artists. Featuring more than 200 works and objects, the exhibition moves beyond Chagall’s iconic paintings to reveal the materials, craftsmanship and collaborative practices that shaped his extraordinary artistic vision. From ceramics and stained glass to stage designs, tapestries and rare archival material, Marc Chagall. Matières invites visitors into the heart of the artist’s creative process, illuminating the enduring dialogue between tradition, innovation and imagination.
Original and impossible to classify, Marc Chagall’s oeuvre draws on a wide range of influences stemming from his cultural roots and the experiences that marked his long career as a painter between Russia, France and the United States. In each of these places, the artist showed a deep sensitivity to artisanal, traditional and popular practices, drawing inspiration from Russian folk and religious art, the age-old traditions of the Mediterranean basin, as well as the forms and colours of pre-Hispanic craftsmanship, discovered during a stay in Mexico.
Attentive to these sources of inspiration, Chagall explored an ever-expanding range of techniques throughout his career: printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, tapestry, mosaic, stained glass, theatre costumes and stage design. These practices did not constitute an alternative to his primary medium, painting, but rather a complement and a natural extension of it. His engagement with matter and his exploration of the traditional techniques of each discipline constantly opened up new artistic possibilities. The artist also developed a genuine creative partnership with the artisans and skilled makers who worked alongside him: ceramists, stone carvers, tapestry weavers and master glassmakers.
Throughout the exhibition, organised into major thematic sections, works from the City of Mons’ collections of old art, ethnography and folk art enter into dialogue with Chagall’s creations, highlighting other artists who, in their own way, appropriated traditional skills, techniques and practices and reinvented them through their own artistic language. Around fifteen ceramic and textile works selected by the Be Craft Association extend this dialogue and reflection on matter, gesture and transmission into the realm of contemporary creation.
Curated by Cecilia Braschi, art historian and independent exhibition curator, and Ambre Gauthier, art historian and Director of the Marc and Ida Chagall Archives in Paris, the exhibition offers a fresh perspective on the artist while engaging with distinctly contemporary issues. By revealing the richness of craftsmanship, the strength of artistic collaborations and the connections between arts, techniques and cultures, it invites visitors to reflect on the ways in which heritage continues to be transmitted, transformed and reinvented today.
This exhibition illustrates the role that Mons plays today in Wallonia’s cultural landscape. Through exhibitions of this scale, the City of Mons confirms its ability to produce international projects of the highest calibre that are accessible to all, enhance its attractiveness, support its tourism economy and reinforce its position as the cultural capital of Wallonia.
Developed in partnership with the Marc and Ida Chagall Archives, this exhibition is supported financially by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Wallonia.
EXPO Marc Chagall. Matières
10.10.2026 > 14.02.2027
CAP
Museum of Fine Arts
Rue Neuve 8, 7000 Mons, Belgium
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Information: www.cap.mons.be
Tickets: +32 (0)65 33 55 80
