The Messenger in Warandepark, Brussels

myminifactory

Jean-Michel Folon was a renowned Belgian artist born on March 1, 1934, in Uccle, Brussels, Belgium. He studied architecture at the Institut Saint-Luc and later settled in Paris's outskirts in 1955. In 1985, Folon moved to Monaco, where he created a foundation in the Solvay Domain, La Hulpe, in the 1990s. Folon's artistic talent was first showcased in New York in 1969 at the Lefebre Gallery with an exhibition of his watercolors. The following year, he displayed his work in Tokyo and the Il Milione gallery in Milan. He also participated in the XXVth Venice Biennale and joined the selection of Belgian artists in the XXVth São Paulo Biennale in 1973, where he received the Grand Prize in Painting. Folon's artistic journey spanned various techniques, including watercolor, etching, silkscreen, illustrations, mosaics, and stained glass. His diverse art pieces included sculptures made of wood, clay, plaster, bronze, and marble, which he created alongside his paintings. One of Folon's notable works is the sculpture "de Bode" (The Messenger), a memorial piece in bronze dated 1997, located on permanent display in Warandepark in Brussels. The sculpture depicts a hand with a bird spreading its wings as a reminder of missing children. This artwork is part of "Scan The World," a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory that aims to create a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from around the world for public access. Scan The World is an open-source community effort where individuals can contribute by emailing stw@myminifactory.com to find out how they can help.