Continuing its series of Visual Arts “Repérages”, Kultur | lx hosted a series of meetings with Berlin professionals and actors in the visual arts field from 20 to 22 July 2022, on the fringes of the Berlin Biennale. The group started its journey with a visit to Lisa Kohl, a Luxembourg photographer and video artist in residence at the Künstlerhaus Bethanien since 1 July.

Following a first Visual Arts Repérage hosted in Kassel in June, Kultur | lx focused its “Mobility, Research and Career Development” support scheme on the city of Berlin, offering support to artists who wished to explore this art scene or deepen existing relationships. During three days, artists and curators from Luxembourg were invited to meet with directors of residencies, gallery owners and curators present in Berlin. Six artists were able to benefit from this specific programme.

Residencies with variable sizes

The first meeting took place at the Künstlerhaus Bethanien with Christoph Tannert, director, and Valeria Schulte-Fischedick, curator and coordinator of the international residency programme. The Künstlerhaus Bethanien GmbH, Germany’s top artist residency (founded in 1974), has been located in a former Lichtfabrik near the Kottbussertor underground station in the heart of Kreuzberg since 2009. Since it was founded in the former Bethanien hospital, it has welcomed more than 950 artists in some thirty studios.

Lisa Kohl, winner of the residency programme at the Künstlerhaus Bethanien initiated by the Focuna and taken over by Kultur | lx in 2022, opened her studio to us where she was still getting her bearings. This 6-month programme will enable her to develop her project Shutdown dreams | Angels in fall, to show her work in a group exhibition which will be launched in mid-September, to participate in studio visits or open days, and to benefit from a critical article in Be Magazin, a newspaper which publishes critical essays on the work of the residents, commissioned by the Künstlerhaus Bethanien.

The group then had the opportunity to meet Isabelle Parkes, coordinator of the Callies International Residency Programme, a venue that opened in the Wedding district in 2020, initiated by an American artist living in Berlin. This second venue welcomes artists from all walks of life, with practices ranging from writing and performance to dance and music. Callies is open to unsolicited applications all year-round and offers great flexibility to aspiring residents.

Germany-Luxembourg hops

One of the highlights for our 6 participants was the meeting with Lidiya Anastasova, curator at the Neuer Berliner Kunstverein (NBK) and director of the NBK’s art library collection, a collection that can be borrowed by anyone, consisting of 4,000 original works, including Marina Abramović, Victor Vasarely or Thomas Schütte, which allows Berlin-based artists to benefit from regular commissions, notably in the context of screen printing editions. Lidiya had participated in the studio visits of the Visual Arts Focus in May 2022 and met a large number of Luxembourg cultural actors.

The six artists also visited their compatriots who had a current exhibition in Berlin. On 20 July, Catherine Lorent gave a talk at the Kunstverein Tiergarten Berlin on the issue of gender in art in the context of her exhibition Relegation ~ via. Voice:over II. On 22 July, Eric Mangen launched a duo exhibition with the Ukrainian artist Artjom Chepovetskyy at the Jarmuschek + Partner gallery.

Finally, the Berlin Biennale, orchestrated this year by the artist Kader Attia (FR), provides the backdrop to these meetings. The 12^th biennial takes place in contemporary art institutions and museums but also in informal places. Its title, Still present! invited us to consider individual and societal traumas from the perspective of Mending – that of objects and individuals, but also that of time and history. The exhibitions visited formed a coherent and rich whole, perfectly reflecting the commitment of the artistic team involved in the project. After the documenta, a completely different way of placing art directly linked to societal commitments, which was a source of inspiration and provides food for thought to the group.

The next Visual Arts Repérage will take place during the professional days of the Lyon Biennale on 12 and 13 September.

On 16 and 17 June, Kultur | lx hosted for the first time a Visual Arts Repérage in Kassel (DE), during the professional days of the documenta, an event that marks the field of contemporary art every five years with its highly prospective, political and – this year too – polemical dimension. For the 18 artists who took part in this Repérage, it was not only a way to discover a curatorial proposal but also to meet outside the territory and exchange differently.

As part of its missions to support the career development of artists, Kultur | lx issued a call for applications in April for visual artists to participate in the Kassel documenta. No less than 18 artists responded positively to this call and were able to benefit from our support.

The Repérages enable participating artists to discover events that contribute to the history of their subjects and, at the same time, to confront their own practice with those of other artists or curators, who, in the context of the documenta, were largely drawn from the non-Western art scene. This is often an opportunity for them to take a step back from their own research and put it into perspective.

This year’s documenta, with its alternative, activist and heuristic dimension, took the form of an open-air laboratory conducive to (re)questioning. Exploring the links between art and forms of economic and political struggle in the service of social invention, the documenta tackled the question of Western norms (particularly museum norms) that govern (sometimes violently) our relationship with people and works. Curated by Ruangrupa, a collective based in Jakarta, Indonesia, the documenta left its Western comfort zone for the first time, while presenting practices and works that reflect interdisciplinary research and collective experience, which quite rightly could destabilise – in addition to the controversy it generated around the anti-Semitic intent of a series of works.

Prospecting for the benefit of dialogue
This prospective dimension of the event therefore forms a basis for reflection for many artists and can take the form of “continuing education”. It is therefore important for Kultur | lx to support them in this process and to open a discussion on the challenges of the contemporary scene. This is one of the other aims of these Repérages arrangements: by delocalising conversations about artistic practices outside Luxembourg, the participating artists were able to exchange with one another and get to know each other better. This dialogue continued beyond these two days, and it was a great success!

Bringing the scene to life thanks to exchanges, rich conversations between actors in the field of visual arts for the benefit of all, that is also where Kultur | lx wishes to focus on to support the careers of Luxembourg artists.

Romain Urhausen, pioneer in Luxembourg in the 1950s and 1960s, has established himself on the international photographic scene with his singular style and experimental approach. Passionate, facetious and prolific, he is recognised as one of the most innovative photographers in Luxembourg, and has embraced subjects as varied as daily life, people at work, urban landscapes, nudes and self-portraits. His curiosity has led him to experiment constantly, both in the subjects he photographs and in the techniques he uses.

Chosen to embody the Luxembourg presence at the Rencontres d’Arles, the exhibition “Romain Urhausen, en son temps” is held at the Espace Van Gogh. This central and unavoidable place offers the necessary conditions to present numerous original photographs dating from the 1950s to the 1970s.

The opening was held on 6 July in the presence of H.R.H Prince Guillaume and Princess Stéphanie of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister and Minister of State, Sam Tanson, Minister of Culture, Martine Schommer, Ambassador of Luxembourg in France, as well as Patrick de Carolis, Mayor of Arles, Christoph Wiesner, Director of the Rencontres d’Arles and numerous Luxembourg partners and international guests. The opening ended in a very festive atmosphere with the acclaimed show by Faux Real.

As a result of an exceptional collaboration with Lët’z Arles and the CNA, a book dedicated to Romain Urhausen (published by delpire & co) was presented at the Librairie du Palais by the curator Paul di Felice and the publisher. The publication was supported by Kultur | lx.

18,585 professionals and enthusiasts have already gathered to discuss the artists and the variety of photographic practices during the first week of the Rencontres d’Arles.

“Romain Urhausen, en son temps” at the Rencontres d’Arles
Curator: Paul di Felice
Until 25 September 2022 at the Espace Van Gogh, Arles (France)

From 10 April to 1 May, Homo Faber, the cultural initiative dedicated to craftsmanship organised by Alberto Cavalli, Executive Director of the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship, is on view.

Conceived by a team of 22 curators and produced by more than 350 world-renowned designers and craftsmen, the event transforms the magnificent spaces of the Fondazione Giorgio Cini, which are exceptionally open to the public, into a multi-faceted stage where the art professions are the protagonists and visitors can take part in a unique experience.

An international exhibition showcasing artisan talent, Homo Faber Event presents an impressive variety of materials, techniques and skills through demonstrations, immersive digital experiences and imaginative displays of handmade creations. From functional everyday objects to exceptional decorative pieces, the event highlights the role of craft in creating a more sustainable future.
in creating a more sustainable and inclusive future.

Teresa de la Pisa, Tom Flick, Katarzyna Kot-Bach, Wouter van der Vlugt, 4 Luxembourg artists, have been selected by the Michelangelo Foundation and are to be discovered in Venice!

This edition of Homo Faber celebrates the cultural dialogue between Europe and Japan by inviting the best Japanese craftsmen and designers to Venice. A country with exquisite craft traditions, Japan is constantly striving to safeguard this important cultural heritage, including by naming its best master craftsmen “Living National Treasures”, a title that recognises their excellence and helps protect their skills for the future. Japan’s ongoing quest to defend its craft heritage fits perfectly with Homo Faber’s goals of celebrating, showcasing and preserving craft excellence.

De Mains de Maître has been supported by Kultur | lx (Tour support).

The Konschthal Esch invites Filip Markiewicz to launch its 2022 programme with a monographic project presenting a new cycle of paintings and sculptures. The exhibition Instant Comedy takes the title of a song from the new album Ultrasocial Pop by Raftside (his music project) and deals with the cruel celerity of social networks that expose, overexpose, judge, and condemn in a few fragments of a second. Filip Markiewicz’s work is full of direct allusions to current events and at the same time uses quotations from the history of art and the world of ideas. In this collaboration with Konschthal Esch, the artist takes up this cross-over by confronting, among other things, Shakespeare’s texts with the aesthetics and forms of transmission of the 21^st century.

This exhibition takes place within the framework of the inaugurations of Esch2022 – European Capital of Culture. It will be accompanied until the end of May 2022 by a framework program for the public.

About Filip Markiewicz
Born in 1980 in Esch-sur-Alzette,Filip Markiewicz is a visual artist who expresses himself through various media such as drawing, painting, music, video, installation, and performance. He represented Luxembourg at the 56th Biennale of Contemporary Art 2015 in Venice with his Paradiso Lussemburgo projet. Since 1999 he has been composing music for film, theatre and installations under the name Raftside.

From February 26, to May 22, 2022
Konschthal Esch – 29-33 boulevard Prince Henri, Esch-sur-Alzette

The Konschthal Esch received promotion support from Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg for this exhibition.

On the occasion of the Luxembourg Art Week (11-14/11), Kultur | lx is organising two days for visual arts professionals in the Greater Region to promote exchanges and to make the Luxembourg art scene, its artists and actors, whether institutional or private, better known.

While the Glacis car park in Limpertsberg was covered with ephemeral pavilions that will host some 80 European galleries participating in the 6th edition of the Luxembourg Art Week, a number of Luxembourg actors of the visual arts scene joined forces to present in this context their vision of what the visual arts in Luxembourg have to offer. From the exhibition Freigeister. Fragments of an Art scene in Luxembourg and beyond at the Mudam, and the young Konschthal in Esch-sur-Alzette, which presents the works of Lisa Kohl, Gregor Schneider, Daniel Reuter or Martine Feipel & Jean Bechameil, From the Casino – Forum d’art contemporain, where the installation Stronger than memory and weaker than dewdrops by Karolina Markiewicz & Pascal Piron is on exhibit, to the many artists who open their studios and organise studio visits, the diversity of the national scene is on display.

Kultur | lx is therefore taking this opportunity to organise, in partnership with Luxembourg Art Week, Mudam Luxembourg and the AAPL – Association des artistes plasticiens du Luxembourg, two focus days on the visual arts which will enable curators and professionals in the sector to deepen their knowledge of the national scene while encouraging encounters and discoveries.

The circulations that Kultur | lx intends to stimulate are understood in the most open sense possible. If it is indeed a question of discovering works, thoughts and aesthetics outside our borders that are developed in connection with the national territory, it is also a question of reciprocal exchanges. This time of meeting often allows us to resume dialogue with our neighbours, to get out, after two difficult years, of individual questioning in order to broaden our horizons once again and to rub shoulders with other ways of thinking and acting that will in turn fertilise local practices.

Come and meet us from 11 to 13 November at our stand at the Luxembourg Art Week! We look forward to welcoming you.

From October 8 to 10, in the heart of the Bourgogne Franche-Comté region, Art Fair Dijon hosts a selection of national and international galleries. This newcomer in the contemporary art fairs has vocation to give the word to the gallery owners. Bringing together 40 exhibitors, this edition will highlight the work of Belgian galleries and art publishers.

The Luxembourg galleries will also be represented as part of the “PERSPECTIVE” offers spectators major or unique works in a remarkable scenography at the entrance of the fair, the Nosbaum Reding Gallery will exhibit Damien Deroubaix, Stephan Balkenhol and Peter Zimmermann and Valerius Gallery will exhibit Raymond Hains.

Valerius Gallery will also present, with the support of Kultur | lx, the Luxembourgish Monique Becker, Eric Mangen and the Danish Martin Paaskesen.

Art Fair // Dijon – October 8-10

Inaugurated this Friday, October 1st, Konschthal Esch wants to be a place of reference for art in Luxembourg and in the three borders area.

The building, a singular place
Formerly a furniture store, Esch-sur-Alzette acquired this building in 2020 to transform it into Konschthal Esch – Contemporary Art Space. With a total surface of nearly 2400m2, this Konschthal enjoys exceptional spaces on 4 levels. Far from the classic White Cube, after a bare space, the supporting elements and raw structures such as concrete slabs and metal beams give it its singular appearance.

The vocation: to develop new exhibition strategies
Konschthal Esch is a production and exhibition platform for contemporary visual arts. It welcomes international contributions as well as local productions, while offering a place for socio-cultural exchange in resonance with current topics and their repercussions in today’s art world. It supports the local art scene and offers it a platform for expression.

“Konschthal initially also plays an important role in a socio-cultural and local context for the dialogue between generations, to become a place of exchange where history, the present and the future are part of the programming.” – Christian Mosar, artistic director of the Konschthal Esch.

A festive opening programme!

In addition to the numerous concerts organized during the opening weekend (in partnership with the Kulturfabrik), 4 inaugural exhibitions are presented (and visible until January 09, 2022):

– Ego-Tunnel, an original presentation of Gregor Schneider’s artistic journey with a succession of seven “Räume” – or immersive installations, associated with a selection of 150 works, including films, photographs and objects.

– The two exhibitions of Lët’z Arles (of which Kultur | lx is an institutional partner): Providencia by Daniel Reuter and ERRE by Lisa Kohl

Finally, the Project Room connects the sculpture Mechanics of the Absent Revolution by Martine Feipel & Jean Bechameil (in preview of their exhibition in Kaunas, Lithuania), with a series of photographs by Niels Ackermann and a selection of books by Sternberg Press.

Konschthal Esch – 29-33, boulevard Prince Henri, Esch-sur Alzette

The BPS22 Museum of Art in Charleroi, Hainaut Province, is getting ready to welcome the second event in the first monographic museum exhibition of the Brognon Rollin artistic duo from October 09th, 2021 to January 09th, 2022. Co-produced with the MAC VAL in Vitry-sur-Seine, France, this exhibition represents a perspective of their work from the past 15 years. It includes exclusive new creations such as Yamina, the longest neon lifeline they have ever produced. This perspective underlines the uniqueness of their definitive world and their consistent approach.

Born respectively in 1978 and 1980 in Messancy (Belgium) and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, David Brognon and Stéphanie Rollin have spent almost 15 years creating multifaceted work, guided by great conceptual and ethical demands. This is reflected in their first large-scale museum exhibition, shown internationally in two events: the first at the MAC VAL in France in 2020, and now in Belgium.

Under the title L’avant-dernière version de la réalité, borrowed from the writer Luis Borges, they develop a recurring question: does reality exist outside of its representations? And more specifically, what does this mean about its time and perception? Its relativity? Its spatial dimensions? How can we shape the experience of time passing? Or that of anticipation or suspense?

In a selection of approximately 40 works, including several new productions at each event (such as Yamina, at 27 metres the longest neon lifeline the two artists have ever created and produced especially for the BPS22), the exhibition traces the main phases of the pair’s artistic journey. Consequently a thread of recurring issues weaves its way between the different works, giving the exhibition its overwhelming consistency.

“The venue of the BPS22 being different from the MAC VAL, the scenography of the exhibition has been rethought offering the implementation of a real path in space and allowing the pieces of art to dialogue with each other“, explains David Brognon. This is further emphasised by the use of ambitious staging: greyish, inconclusive hues envelope the walls and floor, while perfectly adjusted circles of light pick out the works and frames within a hushed atmosphere, conducive to meditation and reflection. With this powerful staging, the artists have imagined the exhibition as a global installation, inviting visitors to perceive it as a whole.

“The exhibition is more immersive like “Yamina” which allows visitors to dive into the palm of this hand, and thus offer a fairly direct relationship with the history of these men and women married by force, “concludes the designer.

ABOUT BROGNON ROLLIN
For almost 15 years, the Brognon Rollin duo have created multifaceted work, with an almost obsessive obstinacy that places humanity at the centre of all their artistic images. Sharp observers of some of society’s actions, the artists create works that fall within the history of minimalist art and express great sensitivity in their design and the context of their creations.

Great sensitivity being a twofold sensitivity. This is the advantage of a well-balanced duo. ‘We have to agree 100% that a piece should be shown publicly. This pact means that our production is rather slow, but it does mean that it’s fair. Because we don’t approach an issue in the same way, when we do agree about the purpose, that means the piece is finished.’ (Stéphanie Rollin); ‘We have two different perceptions on the same situation, but we both want the same thing, we want to process it in the same way. So every piece is an accurate representation of what she feels and what I feel.’ (David Brognon).

There will be a fair few Luxembourg artists in the south of France this summer. The number of exhibitions – both one-person and group – bears witness to the strength of the Grand Duchy’s art scene.

Bruno Baltzer and Leonora Bisagno are presenting their work Au-delà as part of the group exhibition Le Voyageur, l’Obstacle, la Grâce organised by FRAC PACA (the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regional art museum).

Au-delà is an installation set up in a public space in Briançon. It consists of the word “au-delà” (meaning “beyond”, “past” or “the afterlife”) carved into the ground in 11-m × 45-m letters on a slope known as the Champ de Mars. The meaning of “au-delà” is a bit of a head-scratcher, with various different layers of potential interpretation, offering both individual and group perspectives of its location at the centre of the old Vauban fortification, a Unesco World Heritage Site.

As part of the Saint-Paul de Vence International Biennial, Martine Feipel et Jean Bechameil use everyday objects that anyone might own to take us into topsy-turvy world where everything seems to be weirdly suspended out of time. Everyday domestic objects have their purpose and meaning twisted to offer quirky situations based on changes to their material form.

For Carré d’Art, Jeff Weber juxtaposes several sets of works. In 2013, as part of his collaborative project Kunsthalle Leipzig (2012-2017), he and artist Snejanka Mihaylova went on a voyage of discovery to study Coptic Christianity and, in particular, its Gnostic component.