In 1954, at the age of 20, Jean-Michel Folon was wandering past the Knokke Casino when he came across a series of murals by René Magritte. The series was 233 feet long, and it featured bird-shaped leaves, mermaids, and women who merged with the sky. “I thought,” he would write in 1999, “one can really do anything in painting. Even invent mysteries. That was when I encountered art.” It was also the beginning of a long and fruitful career for Folon, who spent the rest of his days exploring life’s poetry. The two artists never met, but as Brussels celebrates the centennial of Surrealism, their work will be exhibited side by side. —Elena Clavarino