Trésor(s). Triptych. Hand-cut digital photographs on printed wood panels. 

The Adoration of the Magi was painted around 1510 by Hieronymus Bosch. This exceptional triptych depicts the Epiphany, the moment when the Kings offer their gifts to the newborn Jesus. There are four versions of this work, shown in Madrid (Prado Museum), New York (Metropolitan Museum), Philadelphia (Museum of Art) and... Anderlecht! This painting is part of the collections of the Erasmus House and is considered one of the 100 treasures of Brussels museums.

François has created a contemporary version of Hieronymus Bosch's work. He invited 20 local residents, representing the diversity of Anderlecht, to portray the characters in the painting. The models wear present-day outfits, all featuring a colour dear to the people of Anderlecht: purple. The setting of the painting is identically reproduced on wooden panels and the new characters are inserted manually into the setting using the photo-collage technique.

Trésor(s) aims to bring an exceptional masterpiece back to life and raise awareness of Anderlecht's heritage. The artwork also becomes a metaphor for the meeting of peoples, highlighting the multicultural daily life of Anderlecht and therefore bringing an artistic ode to the cultures and inhabitants of the municipality.

Lest not forget a confidently feminist approach: the work does not fail to redress the gender balance and transforms kings into queens!

François’ fascination for Bosch lies in the fact that the painter does not paint what he sees, but what he imagines he sees: he transforms the world, making it fantastic. He paints the madness of the world, the suffering with humour, the pain with lightness. He mixes opposites, linking flesh and spirit, parodying religion, while offering truly religious works. He offers paintings that are as complex and detailed as life itself. Nothing is ever black or white with Bosch, but always a funny shade of grey (or pink).

For François, being able to study a Bosch painting so closely, in such detail, getting to really know it to offer a contemporary reading of it was an incredible privilege.