The photographer Paul Marnef is exhibiting his work at the Saint-Martin Festival, a major cultural event held every autumn in Tourinnes-la-Grosse, in Walloon Brabant.
For this 59th edition, he is presenting new works, including several Imaginary Planets in black and white and two creations in color.
These pieces, which have never or rarely been exhibited before, illustrate the richness and maturity of his artistic exploration, where visual poetry and technical precision converge.
The Saint Martin's Festival: a major artistic event in Walloon Brabant
The Saint Martin's Festival in Tourinnes-la-Grosse is one of the most anticipated cultural events in Belgium.
Every autumn for nearly sixty years, this unique Artists' Trail transforms the village into an open-air museum.
Houses, workshops, barns, and churches become temporary exhibition spaces where painters, photographers, sculptors, and craftspeople come together.
This artistic event in Walloon Brabant attracts thousands of visitors every year, including art lovers, collectors, and curious onlookers, who come to meet the artists and discover original creations 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 be exhibiting for the fourth time at the Saint Martin's Festival, presenting new works from his Imaginary Planets series in a setting conducive to contemplation and exchange.
Page from the 2025 Saint-Martin Festival catalog
Paul Marnef, Art Photographer and Creator of the Imaginary Planets
A passionate Belgian photographer, Paul Marnef has made a name for himself with his series "The Imaginary Planets," a visual exploration that blends technique and poetry.
Created from 360° panoramic photography, these images transform real landscapes into floating worlds: spheres suspended in space, between dream and reality.
The photographer thus creates an imaginary geography, where nature, light, and the elements become subjects for contemplation.
Each Imaginary Planet reflects a fragile balance between the beauty of the world and human emotion.
His works, available in limited editions and fine art prints, have been exhibited in contemporary art galleries in Belgium, France, and Luxembourg.
Today, they find an ideal setting in Tourinnes-la-Grosse, a place that combines authenticity and modernity.
A group exhibition in the heart of Tourinnes-la-Grosse, and more precisely in Nethem, in 2025.
This year, Paul Marnef is exhibiting at the Saint-Martin Festival alongside three Belgian artists with complementary styles:
- Hélène Rivière seeks to express purity, simplicity, and poetry through her porcelain ceramics of sublime whiteness.
- Sébastien Lenouvel is dedicated to traditional craftsmanship; his work focuses primarily on embroidery, which he considers a form of contemporary expression.
- Patrick Jadot, a potter specializing in functional ware, whose pieces combine simplicity, originality, and functional elegance.
This group exhibition illustrates 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, where each work finds its own resonance.
Patrick Jadot, potter
Hélène Rivière, ceramist
Sébastien Lenouvel, embroiderer
Unpublished Works: The Depth of Black and White
For this 59th edition of the Saint-Martin Festival, Paul Marnef has chosen to present several Imaginary Planets in black and white, 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 grays subtle, and the light becomes almost palpable.
These art prints reflect the photographer's quest: to capture the essence of reality while evoking an inner dimension.
The choice of black and white reinforces the graphic strength of his compositions and highlights the purity of form.
Art photo, Paul Marnef: In Between Worlds
Colors and Textures: Two Works on Baryta Paper and Mounted on Dibond
In parallel, Paul Marnef is exhibiting two color creations printed on Fine Art Baryta paper and mounted on Dibond aluminum by the Z Lab photo lab 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 vibrancy of the tones, between realism and poetic abstraction.
These high-quality prints demonstrate the care taken at every stage: from shooting the photograph to printing, from the choice of paper to the finishing touches.
Art photo, Paul Marnef : Mirage
Frames by La Cadrerie in Wavre
The works exhibited during the Saint Martin's Day celebrations are enhanced by frames made by La Cadrerie in Wavre.
Each frame is custom-made to highlight the light and texture of the prints without altering their visual impact.
These elegant finishes contribute to creating visual coherence and a strong presence in the exhibition space.
An iconic photographic work: Purple Reverie in Relief
For the second time in Belgium, Paul Marnef is exhibiting his "masterpiece," Purple Reverie in Relief, a work that pushes the boundaries of photography.
Printed using Chromaluxe dye-sublimation at Colorfields, this image was then cut out with a CNC milling machine and reassembled on mounts at different heights by Atelier Relief.
This highly precise work gives the photograph a three-dimensional quality: it becomes a luminous sculpture.
The viewer is invited to walk around it, to explore its contours, and to immerse themselves in the image. It's a unique experience that reflects Paul Marnef's desire to explore the boundaries between photography, material, and space.
Art photo in 3D, Paul Marnef : Purple Reverie Relief
The Artists' Trail of the Saint Martin's Day Festival in Tourinnes-la-Grosse
Every November, the Artists' Trail of the Saint Martin's Day Festival 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 the streets, fields, churches, and houses to discover exhibitions open to everyone.
The Saint Martin's Festival is much more than a collective exhibition opening: it's a celebration of contemporary creation in all its diversity.
Paul Marnef is fully participating, exhibiting his art photographs in an environment conducive to encounters and discussions.
This 2025 edition once again promises wonderful discoveries.
Paul Marnef's exhibition will be a highlight of the Artists' Trail, demonstrating the vitality of the Belgian art scene.
Tourinnes-la-Grosse, a village of art and encounters
Beyond the exhibitions, the Saint Martin's Festival embodies a warm and welcoming community spirit.
The residents open their doors, the volunteers (there are 500 of them) get involved, and the entire village lives to the rhythm of art.
This close-knit atmosphere gives the interactions a rare human dimension.
The festival's motto: encounters, sharing, and conviviality.
For Paul Marnef, exhibiting in Tourinnes-la-Grosse represents more than just participation: it's an encounter with the Belgian public, a way of sharing his approach and listening to the emotions evoked by his works.
It's also an intimate connection with the region, a way of anchoring photography in the reality of Walloon Brabant.
Saint-Martin's church in Tourinnes-la-Grosse
Meet Paul Marnef during the Saint Martin's Day Festival
During the last four weekends of November 2025, Paul Marnef will be present to welcome visitors, discuss his contemporary photographs, and explain the techniques he uses - from piezography to embossed Chromaluxe in relief.
The Saint Martin's Day 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 close interaction between creators and the public is what makes the event so special and contributes to its reputation in Belgium and beyond.
Come and discover our worlds in a friendly and artistic atmosphere, every Saturday and Sunday from 1 PM to 6 PM.
I will be personally present from 3 PM to 6 PM to discuss my creations.
A highlight of contemporary Belgian art
Paul Marnef's participation in the 59th edition of the Saint-Martin Festival illustrates the vitality of contemporary Belgian photography.
His works, whether in black and white, color, or relief, demonstrate a demanding and sensitive approach.
This cultural event in Walloon Brabant confirms the Saint-Martin Festival's place among the major artistic events in French-speaking Belgium.
Between tradition and modernity, it offers a unique space where art is experienced, shared, and contemplated.
Furthermore, the official contemporary art trail of the Saint-Martin Festival is renowned for its high-quality approach to contemporary art.
Conclusion: An event not to be missed
The Saint Martin's Festival in Tourinnes-la-Grosse is more than just an exhibition: it's a collective adventure and an unmissable cultural event.
Each edition is a tribute to Belgian creativity in all its forms.
In 2025, Paul Marnef will be exhibiting a selection of new works at the Saint Martin's Festival, including his "Imaginary Planets" series, fine art prints, and relief photographs.
His work embodies the beauty of perspective and the power of the connection between art and the world.
For all lovers of art photography and Belgian culture, this exhibition is an experience to be savored – at the crossroads of technique, light, and emotion.
Paul Marnef
Art Photographer – Creator of Imaginary Planets
- Exhibiting at the Saint-Martin Festival 2025, in Tourinnes-la-Grosse (Walloon Brabant, Belgium)
- www.paulmarnef360.com
- tourinnes.be/project/99-paul-marnef/