Lous Martens (NL, 1940–2023) had five grandchildren: Jaap, Zeno, Anna, Julian and Luca. For each of them, he set out to create an illustrated animal album. He began this project when the first grandchild was born in 2000 and continued until his death in 2023.

Comprising images cut out from newspapers and magazines on art, literature and science, as well as stamps and photographs taken from advertising leaflets, these fascinating notebooks form a unique collection of bestiaries. These works were not originally intended for public viewing until 2017, when Roma Editions suggested publishing them by compiling them into a single volume: ‘Animal Books – For Jaap, Zeno, Anna, Julian, Luca…’. The book has since enjoyed immense success and has been reprinted several times.

The project presented at Les Chiroux, as part of the Biennale de l’Image Possible (BIP) and aimed at children, is the very first exhibition based on this book. It invites visitors to discover this rich and moving body of work—a testament to the affectionate bond between a grandfather and his grandchildren—through an immersive exhibition design that will delight young and old alike.