The Chang exhibition: a halfway assessment

At the very least, the Chang – Hergé: Two Artists’ Journeys exhibition has proven itself to be a jewel in the crown of the wider festival of culture, Europalia China. Visitors go on a journey to discover a man, his work, and a meeting of cultures and peoples. The backdrop to this touching exhibition is the friendship between Chang and Hergé (two artists born in 1907): a friendship that stood the test of time.

Visitors to the temporary exhibition at the Hergé Museum also find out key biographical details about Chang, who has been the victim of one or two odd rumours, which have been circulating for a long time despite no one knowing where they came from!

The strangest anecdote goes that Chang, following a road accident in the suburbs of Paris, astounded the police by claiming to be "Tintin’s friend". A funny story, although it is completely fabricated: Chang never learned how to drive and never sat behind the wheel of a car throughout his whole life!

As if the reality of Chang’s life – passionate, dramatic and extraordinarily accomplished in the domain of art – wasn’t enough…