Xavier Löwenthal

Xavier Löwenthal (born 18 October 1970 in Schaerbeek, Brussels) is a Belgian author, cartoonist, comics theorist, producer, performer, translator and publisher, and the founder of the publishing group and imprint La Cinquième Couche.

Biography Löwenthal was born on 18 October 1970 in Schaerbeek, a municipality of Brussels, Belgium. After graduating from the Institut Saint-Luc de Bruxelles, he founded the publishing house La Cinquième Couche.

Since 1994, he has worked within the publishing structure of La Cinquième Couche. As an author, his works include Cotton Schwob (1995), a social satire; Iphigénie (2000), exploring indeterminacy in Newtonian models; Lettres à Pauline (2003); Le Coup de grâce; Les Aventures de Wim Delvoye (with François Olislaeger and Wim Delvoye); Le Manifeste du dégagisme and Le Dégagisme du manifeste (both with the Collectif Manifestement). He has also produced Oulipo-inspired comics, including contributions to Comix 2000 and the journal La 5e Couche.

In 1999, alongside Christophe Poot, he took part in the Terre-Neuve project organised by the Recyclart association, aimed at transforming the urban rupture caused by the North–South railway junction in Brussels, contributing to five panels of approximately each.

He has also contributed to the journal Écritures and is the author of pamphlets, including Pour un art après l'art après Auschwitz (Maelström, 2009).

He served as spokesperson for the anonymous author of the controversial comic Katz (Ilan Manouach), a subversive reworking of Maus by Art Spiegelman. With Ilan Manouach, he co-founded Essaim, a concept of collective creation and détournement, including Noirs (2014), a reworking of The Black Smurfs by Peyo, printed entirely in cyan, and Tintei akei Kongo, a Lingala-language version of the famous Tintin album by Hergé.

Under the pen name Judith Forest, he co-authored (with William Henne and Thomas Boivin) the autobiographical comics 1h25 (2009) and Momon (2011), in which Löwenthal appears as a character.

In 2019, he published his first novel, Nathan, described by the RTBF programme Sous Couverture as "a thoroughly contemporary novel on cynicism and the schizophrenia of postmodern society."

William Henne (left), Didier Pasamonik (centre) and Xavier Löwenthal (right) at the BD Comic Strip Festival, 7 September 2024.

He is a founding member of the Collectif Manifestement, alongside his sister Anne Löwenthal, and serves as the collective's spokesperson.

As a translator, his works include (2008) by Michael Kupperman, L'Art érotique (2020) by Anton Kannemeyer and Conrad Botes, and An Encyclopaedia of Pacifism (2025) by Aldous Huxley, all published by La Cinquième Couche. From 2023 onwards, he has worked with William Henne on editing and publishing the works of Chaïm Kaliski at La Cinquième Couche, including Jim d'Etterbeek, Dossin, and La Destruction des Juifs d'Europe.

He also teaches contemporary dance as part of the project PHD in one night, with Jacques Rancière and People Coming from Nowhere. (with William Henne and Thomas Boivin, under the pen name Judith Forest), La Cinquième Couche, Brussels, 2011.

With the Collectif Manifestement Manifeste du dégagisme, Maelström, Brussels, 2011. . Dégagisme du Manifeste, Maelström, Brussels, 2017. . Chronique du rattachement de la Belgique au Congo, Maelström, Brussels, 2017. . Démocratie, une anthologie, La Cinquième Couche, Brussels, 2024. .

Essays and other writings Notes pour la critique (preface to L'Étang et les spasmes dans la bande dessinée by Pierre Yves Lador), Castagniééé, Vevey, 2006. Pour un art après l'art après Auschwitz, Hélice-Hélas, Vevey, 2019. .

Conceptual books and détournements Astro Boy #6 (with William Henne), La Cinquième Couche, Brussels, 2020. . The Dark Knight Returns Book (with William Henne), La Cinquième Couche, Brussels, 2021. .

Editions of Chaïm Kaliski's work From 2023 onwards, Löwenthal and William Henne have edited and published the works of Chaïm Kaliski at La Cinquième Couche: Jim d'Etterbeek, Chaïm Kaliski, La Cinquième Couche, Brussels. Dossin, Chaïm Kaliski, La Cinquième Couche, Brussels. La Destruction des Juifs d'Europe, Chaïm Kaliski, La Cinquième Couche, Brussels.

Collective publications Comix 2000 (collective including Xavier Löwenthal), L'Association, Paris, December 1999. . Suisse – Belgique (collective including Xavier Löwenthal), Castagniééé, Vevey, May 2008. . Vivre ? (collective including Xavier Löwenthal), Centre de prévention du suicide, 2010. Judex (collective including Xavier Löwenthal, drawings by L.L. de Mars), La Cinquième Couche, Brussels, March 2008. .

Translations (texts by Jean-Pierre Verheggen), Éditions du Somnambule équivoque, Liège, 2005, 89 pp. . Les Magasiniers du Ciel by Rodolphe Petit, illustrated by Xavier Löwenthal, Castagniééé, Vevey, 2007. .

Exhibition catalogues Self-Service (Jan Baetens, ed.; illustrated by Denis Deprez, Olivier Deprez, Jan Lens, Jean-Christophe Long, Xavier Löwenthal, Merkeke, Bertrand Panier; translated by Susan R. Rose and Jorge Fallorca), Fréon/Casa Fernando Pessoa, Brussels/Lisbon, 2001. . Le Coup de grâce, La Cinquième Couche, Brussels, 2006. . Bruxelles stories (scenario by Patrick van Roy; collective illustrations including Xavier Löwenthal), Zanpano, Paris, 2009. .

Exhibitions Solo exhibitions Tawahkas, (collaboration with the Jean Nouvel workshops), Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk, 6 June – 18 September 2005. Articulations, Dexia Art Center, Brussels, 2006. Arbres en Plastique, Villa Bernasconi, Geneva, 2006. BD Reporters, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, 20 December 2006 – 23 April 2007. 2nd Helsinki Design Biennale, Helsinki, 2008. Archi & BD, Cité de l'Architecture, Paris, 2010. International Graphic Arts Exhibition, Lisbon, 2010. Génération Spontanée, Espace Franquin, Angoulême, 2011. Génération Spontanée, Belgian Comic Strip Center, Brussels, 2011. Apostilles, Sismics Comics Festival, Sierre, 2011. Los Mellijones, La Jicara, Oaxaca, 2011. European Comics Festival, Jumatatea Plina, Bucharest, 2011. Both Sides of a Wall, International Comics Festival, Stockholm, 2012.