Marcel Broodthaers, born in Brussels, Belgium, embarked on his creative journey as a poet, transitioning into a self-taught visual artist at the age of 40. Despite a relatively brief artistic career spanning just 12 years, he left behind a remarkably diverse body of work before his passing on his 52nd birthday in 1976. Central to Broodthaers’s creative focus was the concept of the museum, a fascination sparked by the events of May 1968 and the concurrent protests in Brussels. This led him to establish his own imaginary museum, a conceptual construct never meant to exist in reality but intended to provoke contemplation about the contemporary cultural landscape. Operating under the guise of the fictional ‘Musée d’Art Moderne,’ this concept took on various forms from 1968 to 1972.
In addition to his exploration of the museum concept, Broodthaers was associated with the Groupe Surréaliste-revolutionnaire in Brussels from 1945, engaging in journalism, film, and poetry. After struggling as a poet for 20 years and facing poverty, he transitioned to become an artist in 1963, crafting his initial objects. Notably, Broodthaers created his first film in 1957, and from 1967 onwards, he produced over 50 short films spanning documentary, narrative, and experimental styles.
In his later artistic endeavors, Broodthaers primarily worked with assemblages of found objects and collage, often incorporating written texts. His art incorporated written language and utilized an array of materials, including egg and mussel shells, furniture, clothing, garden tools, household gadgets, and reproductions of artworks.
