For the 2025 Saint-Martin Festival, I have prepared a selection of Imaginary Planets, paying particular attention to black and white and the finishes. This archive presents the project for this 59th edition, in Nethen along the Tourinnes-la-Grosse route. It allows you to view the works and the presentation choices that have been announced.
For this 59th edition, he is presenting new works, including several black-and-white Imaginary Planets and two colour pieces.
These works, rarely or never before exhibited, reveal the richness and maturity of his artistic exploration, where visual poetry and technical rigour meet.
The Saint-Martin Festival: a major artistic event in Walloon Brabant
The Saint-Martin Festival in Tourinnes-la-Grosse is one of the most eagerly anticipated cultural events in Belgium.
Every autumn for nearly sixty years, this one-of-a-kind Artists’ Trail has transformed the village into an open-air museum.
Houses, studios, barns and churches become temporary exhibition spaces where painters, photographers, sculptors and craftspeople come together.
Every year, this Walloon Brabant arts event draws thousands of visitors – art lovers, collectors and the simply curious – who come to meet the artists and discover original works in a friendly atmosphere.
The spirit of sharing and community makes it a unique experience, deeply rooted in Belgian cultural life.
In 2025, Paul Marnef will exhibit for the fourth time at the Fêtes de la Saint-Martin, presenting previously unseen works from his ‘Imaginary Planets’ series in a setting that invites contemplation and conversation.
Paul Marnef, fine art photographer and creator of the Imaginary Planets
A passionate Belgian photographer, Paul Marnef has made a name for himself with his series *Imaginary Planets*, a visual exploration that blends technique and poetry.
Created using 360° panoramic photography, these images transform real landscapes into floating worlds: spheres suspended in space, somewhere between dream and reality.
In this way, the photographer creates an imaginary geography, where nature, light and the elements become subjects for contemplation.
Each Imaginary Planet reflects a delicate balance between the beauty of the world and human emotion.
His works, available as limited editions and fine art prints, have been exhibited in contemporary art galleries in Belgium, France and Luxembourg.
Today, they have found an ideal setting in Tourinnes-la-Grosse, combining authenticity and modernity.
A group exhibition in the heart of Tourinnes-la-Grosse – or, to be precise, in Nethem – in 2025
This year, Paul Marnef is exhibiting at the Fêtes de la Saint-Martin alongside three Belgian artists whose artistic worlds complement one another:
• Hélène Rivière seeks to express purity, simplicity and poetry through her porcelain ceramics of sublime whiteness.
• Sébastien Lenouvel is committed to traditional craftsmanship; his work focuses primarily on embroidery, which he regards as a form of contemporary expression.
• Patrick Jadot, a potter specialising in functional ware, whose pieces combine simplicity, originality and functional elegance.
• This group exhibition embodies the spirit of the Tourinnes-la-Grosse Artists’ Trail: the convergence of disciplines and the diversity of perspectives.
The dialogue between photography, sculpture, painting and ceramics creates a vibrant atmosphere, in which each work finds its resonance.
Unpublished works: the depth of black and white
For this 59th edition of the Fêtes de la Saint-Martin, Paul Marnef has chosen to present several black-and-white Imaginary Planets printed by MikeMuka using the piezography process.
This fine art technique allows for an extremely precise reproduction of gradients and textures.
The blacks are intense, the greys subtle, and the light becomes almost palpable.
These fine art prints reflect the photographer’s quest: to capture the essence of reality whilst evoking an inner dimension.
The choice of black and white enhances the graphic impact of his compositions and highlights the purity of form.
Colours and textures: two works on baryta paper mounted on Dibond
Alongside these, Paul Marnef is exhibiting two colour works printed on Fine Art Baryta paper and mounted onto Dibond aluminium by the Z Lab photo studio in Brussels.
This fine art printing technique highlights the richness of the inks and the depth of the textures.
The works play on texture, contrasts and the vibration of tones, straddling the line between realism and poetic abstraction.
These high-end prints reflect the care taken at every stage: from shooting to printing, from the choice of paper to the finishing touches.
Frames by La Cadrerie in Wavre
The works exhibited during the Fêtes de la Saint-Martin are showcased in frames crafted by La Cadrerie in Wavre.
Each frame is bespoke, designed to highlight the light and texture of the prints without detracting from their visual impact.
These elegant finishes help to create visual coherence and a strong presence within the exhibition space.
An iconic photographic work: Purple Reverie Relief
For the second time in Belgium, Paul Marnef is exhibiting his ‘masterpiece’, Purple Reverie Relief, a work that pushes the boundaries of photography.
Printed using ChromaLuxe sublimation at Colorfields, the image was then milled digitally and mounted on pedestals of varying heights by Atelier Relief.
This highly precise process gives the photograph a three-dimensional presence: it becomes a luminous sculpture.
The viewer is invited to walk around it, explore its reliefs and immerse themselves in the image. A unique experience that reflects Paul Marnef’s desire to explore the boundaries between photography, material and space.
The Artists’ Trail at the Saint-Martin Festival in Tourinnes-la-Grosse
Every November, the Parcours d’Artistes at the Fêtes de la Saint-Martin transforms Tourinnes-la-Grosse and its surroundings – Beauvechain, Hamme-Mille, Nodebais, La Bruyère and Nethen – into a vast living museum.
This cultural event in Walloon Brabant brings together artists from all over Belgium and abroad.
Visitors wander through streets, fields, churches and houses to discover exhibitions open to all.
The Fêtes de la Saint-Martin are much more than a group exhibition opening: they are a celebration of contemporary creativity in all its diversity.
Paul Marnef is fully involved in the event, exhibiting his fine art photographs in an environment conducive to meeting people and engaging in discussion.
This 2025 edition once again promises some wonderful discoveries.
Paul Marnef’s exhibition will be a highlight of the Parcours d’Artistes, demonstrating the vitality of the Belgian art scene.
Tourinnes-la-Grosse, a village of art and encounters
Beyond the exhibitions, the Fêtes de la Saint-Martin embody a warm, community spirit.
Residents open their doors, volunteers (500 of them) get involved, and the whole village lives to the rhythm of art.
This closeness gives interactions a rare human dimension.
The festival’s motto: encounters, sharing and conviviality.
For Paul Marnef, exhibiting at Tourinnes-la-Grosse represents more than just taking part: it is an encounter with the Belgian public, a way of sharing his artistic approach and listening to the emotions evoked by his works.
It is also an intimate connection with the region, a way of anchoring photography in the reality of Walloon Brabant.
Meet Paul Marnef during the Fêtes de la Saint-Martin.
Over the last four weekends of November 2025, Paul Marnef will be on hand to welcome visitors, discuss his contemporary photographs and explain the techniques he uses — from piezography to embossed ChromaLuxe.
The Saint-Martin Festival in Tourinnes-la-Grosse thus offers a unique opportunity to meet the artists, discuss their work and understand the creative process behind each piece.
This intimacy between artists and the public is what makes the event unique and contributes to its reputation in Belgium and beyond.
Come and discover our worlds in a friendly, artistic atmosphere, every Saturday and Sunday from 1 pm to 6 pm.
I will be there in person from 3 pm to 6 pm to chat about my creations
A highlight of contemporary Belgian art
Paul Marnef’s participation in the 59th edition of the Fêtes de la Saint-Martin illustrates the vitality of contemporary Belgian photography.
His works, whether in black and white, colour or relief, bear witness to a rigorous and sensitive creative process.
This cultural event in Walloon Brabant confirms the place of the Fêtes de la Saint-Martin amongst the major artistic events in French-speaking Belgium.
Straddling tradition and modernity, it offers a unique space where art is experienced, shared and contemplated.
Furthermore, the official contemporary art trail at the Fêtes de la Saint-Martin is renowned for its high-quality approach to contemporary art.
Conclusion: an event not to be missed
The Saint-Martin Festival in Tourinnes-la-Grosse is not just an exhibition: it is a collective adventure and an unmissable cultural event.
Each edition pays tribute to Belgian creativity in all its forms.
In 2025, Paul Marnef will present a selection of previously unseen works at the Fêtes de la Saint-Martin, including pieces from the Imaginary Planets series, fine art prints and relief photographs.
His work embodies the beauty of the gaze and the power of the connection between art and the world.
For all lovers of fine art photography and Belgian culture, this exhibition is an experience not to be missed — at the crossroads of technique, light and emotion.
Paul Marnef
Fine art photographer – Creator of the Imaginary Planets
• Exhibiting at the Fêtes de la Saint-Martin 2025, in Tourinnes-la-Grosse (Walloon Brabant, Belgium)
• www.paulmarnef360.com
• tourinnes.be/project/99-paul-marnef/
Discover the works available in fine art finish
The Imaginary Planets are offered in several professional finishes: Fine Art prints, ChromaLuxe, Diachrome or other media depending on the artwork. Each print is produced as a limited edition, signed, numbered and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
To continue your exploration
Would you like to find out more about a piece of work or how it is presented? Please write to me to discuss it. You can also explore other topics on the fine art photography blog.
See also: Saint Martin’s Day celebrations 2024: my ‘Imaginary Planets’ in Hamme-Mille; Artists’ trail in Walloon Brabant: encounters and tips for visitors.