The third edition of this Visual Arts focus has firmly established itself in the agenda of the Luxembourg Art Week. The five artists selected by Austrian curator Mirela Baciak welcomed fourteen professionals from four different countries who had come to discover the Luxembourg contemporary art scene. These meetings gave rise to fruitful exchanges that Kultur | lx is committed to developing over the long term.

Mudam Luxembourg – Musée d’art contemporain Grand-Duc Jean welcomed fourteen curators, art centre directors, critics and contemporary art experts from Austria, Germany, Belgium and France who had been invited by Kultur | lx. A two-and-a-half-day programme, alternating visits to artists’ studios, associations and institutions, talks and informal discussions, was offered to familiarise them with the players who are making contemporary art happen in Luxembourg.

The heart of a Focus – and undoubtedly its most eagerly awaited part by professionals and artists alike – lies in the visits to the artists’ studios or, for those based abroad, in the presentation of their portfolios. This year, Mike Bourscheid, Serge Ecker, Sophie Jung, Claudia Passeri and Nora Wagner have been selected by Mirela Baciak, Director of the Salzburger Kunstverein in Austria, to open the doors of their artistic worlds to these guests with their keen eyes. This meeting provides an opportunity to exchange views on the artist’s work and on more open questions about the current state of contemporary art in both its political and social dimensions. These frank and rich discussions are a source of reflection for everyone, but they also enable some artists to explore new professional horizons, since two of the artists featured within the Focus 2022 programme will have major solo exhibitions in 2024, thanks to invitations from professionals who took part in the event.

Mirela Baciak, who attended the 2022 Focus as a guest, immediately showed an interest in curating the 2023 edition. She made a wide-ranging selection from among the dozens of portfolios submitted, focusing on two main themes: queer cultures and the climate crisis, but the common thread was the shared values expressed by all the artists, however diverse and eclectic their practices.

The partnership with the Luxembourg Art Week enabled the group to visit the fair exclusively during the preview. Alongside the formats already implemented last year, this year’s fair also featured a number of new partnerships that helped to diversify the offering for professionals. In addition to the exhibitions at Mudam Luxembourg, the Konschthal Esch and the Casino Luxembourg – Forum d’Art Contemporain, attendees could also discover Vewa, a space developed by the Dkollektiv collective, and the Nei Liicht art centre in Dudelange, which presented a solo exhibition by Letizia Romanini, and finally the Bridderhaus artists’ residence in Esch-sur-Alzette, where the artist Claudia Passeri welcomed the professionals to a performative dinner under the title “Papillons de résistance”.

Finally, the 2023 Focus dealt with the theme of artistic research, the various forms it can take, its political development and its artistic materiality. Art historian and critic Sandra Delacourt gave a lecture at the Luxembourg Art Week on the theme of The Artist Researcher as a figure in the zeitgeist, but also as a political creation, through an analysis of the career of Donald Judd. Finally, the Focus ended with an afternoon of debate and exchange at Casino Display, which had co-organised with Kultur | lx pitch-presentations by researchers and artists on their research practices, followed by debates on current issues facing artists in this field.

This third edition has consolidated existing links with neighbouring scenes and opened up prospects for territories that will be highlighted in 2024, such as Belgium and Germany. The event is generating medium- and long-term impact, and the challenge that lies ahead is to make the most of this contribution.

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Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg headed to Montreal in early November with a large delegation of artists. At the invitation of the Film Fund Luxembourg, Kultur | lx developed a programme of events, meetings and residencies in the wake of the CINEMANIA Festival, honouring the Grand Duchy.

One of the highlights of this event was the artistic meetings organised on 3 November at the Centre PHI in the form of a networking event and a micro-festival presenting three artists and collectives from Luxembourg, a programme in the context of the Centre PHI, between experimentation and hybridisation: Andrea Mancini, C’est Karma, Compagnie Eddi van Tsui.

Professionals and the general public were thus able to discover some of the many facets of Luxembourg’s creation. The feedback was enthusiastic.

The presence in Montreal also made it possible to organise a visit to the studio of artist Suzan Noesen in residence at the Darling Foundry and to confirm once again the interest of the partnership with the Darling Foundry, which will continue in the years to come.

Beyond this highlight, Kultur | lx has worked to extend the artists’ experience by offering them other opportunities in the territory.

While artist Andrea Mancini flew to Brooklyn for a series of concerts, Eddi van Tsui, Giovanni Zazerra, Baptiste Hilbert (AWA) took advantage of their presence to network at CINARS, C’est Karma is preparing for its showcases at the M for Montreal Festival, artists Sophie Langevin and Ian de Toffoli are benefiting from a writing residency at the Centre des écritures dramatiques de Montréal. This residency was concluded with a conference on 19 November as part of the festival “La Salle des machines”.

All these moments and meetings have allowed us to forge new links with the Montreal artistic scene and to strengthen the ties with existing partners. The desire for cooperation is there, and discussions will continue in order to design sustainable programmes in a spirit of exchange and mutual benefit.

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Music, performing arts, literature and visual arts – in addition to cinema, which is strongly represented at this year’s Cinémania festival, Luxembourg has a rich and diverse culture, which I am happy to see exported this autumn in several venues in Montreal“, highlights Sam Tanson.

Within the framework of Luxembourg, the country of honour of the CINEMANIA festival, Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg invites to discover other aspects of Luxembourg’s creation between music, performance, dance and literature. Beyond the highlight at the PHI centre on November 3, Kultur | lx is expanding its programming and allowing artists to present themselves at major platforms and festivals on the Montreal scene. The establishment of a new partnership with the Centre des auteurs dramatiques de Montréal opens a three-week residency to two authors.

03.11.2022 | PHI Centre 

17h : Networking Event
Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg invites professionals from the Quebec cultural scene to come and exchange ideas about Luxembourg’s creation and to share their desire for cooperation.

6pm – 9.30pm: Performances
Free registration HERE

A/V performance (duration 33′)
MINERALS | Andrea Mancini (creation 2022)

Copyright – Yves Conrady

An exploration of the fascinating world of minerals in an audiovisual and sound performance.

Concert (duration 40′)
THIS IS KARMA

Copyright – Shade Cumini

Pop, folk or electro, the musician draws from a multitude of influences to build dense, soft and yet powerful pieces.

Dance performance (duration 30′)
ART. 13 RUNWAY / EDDI VAN TSUI COMPANY

Copyright – Eddi van Tsui

In “Art. 13 Runway” the theme of migration merges with that of fashion. A hybrid form created and adapted for the PHI centre that integrates its architecture, consciously playing with the audience’s perception to move and exceed the limits of the stage.

 

Continuing the discovery…

04.11 | 18h | Darling Foundry, Montreal
Open Studio With Suzan Noesen
As part of her residency at the Fonderie Darling (September-November 2022), Suzan Noesen opens the doors of her studio to discuss her project and her research.
fonderiedarling.org | suzannoesen.com

07.11 – 12.11 | Luxembourg delegation at the CINARS Biennial
Every two years since 1984, CINARS has organised one of the most important international meetings of the performing arts in Montreal with more than 1900 professionals from 54 countries, including 433 of the most important presenters in the world. This year, the artists invited to the PHI Centre and the Machine Room Festival will be accompanied by Kultur | lx to meet international professionals.
cinars.org

07.11 – 28.11 | Centre des auteurs dramatiques
Author in residence: Sophie Langevin and Ian De Toffoli
Founded in 1965 by six authors, the CEAD now has over 290 members. An association of authors serving authors, CEAD is a centre for the support, promotion and dissemination of French-language drama in Quebec and Canada. It occupies a unique place in the theatrical landscape, both in terms of the number of its members and the objectives of research and excellence that it pursues. The CEAD is involved in collaborations with other countries. Luxembourg is invited for the first time to benefit from these programmes.
www.cead.qc.ca

17.11 | 4pm | Quai des Brumes + 10.45pm | Casa del Popolo
C’est Karma – M for Montreal Festival
For the past 17 years, M pour Montréal has acted as an essential catalyst for the Quebec and Canadian music industry, both for emerging artists and those developing their careers outside of Quebec. The event offers a series of conferences where local and international music industry professionals gather. For this first Luxembourg participation, the artist C’est Karma will be honoured.
mpourmontreal.com

19.11 | 5pm | Centre du théâtre d’aujourd’hui
Perspectives d’auteur-rices: l’écriture en chantier. With Sophie Langevin and Ian De Toffoli
Festival la Salle des machines
La Salle des machines is a unique event organised by the Centre des auteurs dramatiques. As part of this festival, authors offer the public dramaturgical meetings around their texts in progress. Ian De Toffoli and Sophie Langevin, in residence at CEAD, will discuss writing in progress and their respective practices.
lasalledesmachines.net

Kultur | lx would like to thank its partners for the opportunity and the realisation of this programme: the Film Fund Luxembourg, the Cinemania Festival, the Phi Centre, the Fonderie Darling, the M for Montreal Festival and the Centre des auteurs dramatiques de Montréal.

In November, let’s spread our imaginations and meet around the artists and creations of Luxembourg!

Do you want to expand your professional network? Addressing contemporary art professionals is a key element in this process.

Dates: October 18, 2022
Timing: 
09h00 – 13h30 | 14h00-18h00
Venue: Casino Luxembourg – Forum d’art contemporain

The objective of this workshop will be to prepare you to present your work in different situations and through different media in order to better communicate with professional audiences. You will focus on three types of communication situations: the portfolio, social networks and real or virtual studio visits.

Kultur | lx is pleased to welcome Margret Wibmer to lead this workshop dedicated to visual arts.

This hands-on workshop is for professional visual artists working in all types of media. You will have time to discuss your specific project with an experienced instructor/mentor and other participants, refine your approach and present it to other professionals.

Who is eligible to participate?

Participation conditions:

More information and application here.

In the frame of the Theatertage Rheinland-Pfalz, the Staatstheater Mainz organises, with the support of Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg, an exchange platform between performing arts professionals from Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg under the title Crossing Borders.

For two days during the festival, on 14 and 15 March 2022, various forums for exchange will be offered, which will deal with general questions and problems of cross-border work, including funding opportunities and information to help international mobility. 20 participants from Luxembourg will be offered a space to discuss touring opportunities in other countries and to look for co-production partners.

The festival will also honour Luxembourgish creation by programming AppHuman by Sophie Langevin and Ian de Tofolli on 14 March.

Elise Schmit is one of the six selected writers from Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Canada and Ireland participating in the Playwrights’ Workshop, led by renowned theatre-maker Chris Thorpe. This workshop offers them the opportunity to meet and talk with authors about their work and writing. The workshop will conclude with a public presentation to meet the participants and get an insight into their work.

As a preliminary, and in order to prepare performing arts professionals for these meetings, Kultur | lx initiates a new series of webinars mapping the German performing arts market.
Two webinars will introduce the specificities of the German theatre and dance markets offering an overview of the main venues, festivals and networks, the systems of production and distribution, the current aesthetic trends. They will also be a space to get advice on how to enter the market as a foreigner and ask questions.

You want to launch your career internationally? Addressing contemporary art professionals is a key element in this process.

Dates: on April 06, 2022
Time: 10:00 – 13:30 | 14:00-18:00
Venue: Casino Luxembourg – Forum d’art contemporain
41, rue Notre-Dame, L-2240 Luxembourg

The objective of this workshop will be to prepare you to present your work in different situations and through different media in order to better communicate with professional audiences. You will focus on three types of communication situations: portfolio, social networks and studio visits.

Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg is pleased to welcome Sophie Lanoë to lead this first workshop dedicated to visual arts.

This hands-on workshop is for professional visual artists working in all types of mediums. You will have the time to discuss your specific project with an experienced trainer and the other participants, refine your approach and present it to other professionals.

I am eligible to participate?

of Luxembourg nationality or resident in Luxembourg.

Participation conditions:

More information and registration HERE

Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg, in partnership with the Cité internationale des arts in Paris, offers a three-month research and creation residency based on a call for applications to artists of all disciplines of Luxembourg nationality or living in Luxembourg. This residency program aims to allow an artist, author, dancer, choreographer or musician to carry out a personal research and creation project. The project will preferably be carried out in conjunction with a partner institution, or a structure, or an artist, identified in Paris and its agglomeration. This stay, which is for the artist a privileged moment of reflection and creation, will contribute to the visibility of the Luxembourgish artistic scene in Paris.

Is my project eligible? How can I apply? What are the practical conditions of the residency? What does the residency have to offer?
We are here to answer your questions!

18.01.2022 | 16:00
WEBINAR (in English)
Duration: 1h30 minutes

Speakers: Andrea Mancini (resident 2021), Vincent Gonzalvez (Head of residency programs – Cité des arts), Souraya Kessaria (Residency programs and partnerships – Cité des arts)
Moderation by the team of Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg

Inscription here

About the Cité internationale des arts, Paris
The Cité internationale des arts is an artists’ residency in the heart of Paris that brings together creators and allows them to implement a production or research project in all disciplines. For periods of two months to a year, the Cité internationale des arts offers an environment conducive to creation, open to meetings with professionals from the cultural sector. Residents benefit from customized support from the Cité internationale des arts team. In the Marais (18 rue de l’Hôtel de Ville, 75004 Paris) or in Montmartre (24 rue Norvins, 75018 Paris), the residency also provides an opportunity to meet and dialogue with more than 300 artists and actors from the art world of all generations, all nationalities and all disciplines. In collaboration with its many partners, the Cité internationale des arts opens several thematic and/or project-based calls for applications throughout the year.

In the continuity of the Focuna, Kultur | lx takes up two artists’ residencies covering different disciplines:

– Research and creative residency for architects, architectural researchers, illustrators and authors at Academia Belgica in Roma (I)

Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg and the Luxembourg Embassy in Rome in partnership with the Academia Belgica, Centre for History, Arts and Sciences in Rome (AB), is offering a research and creative residency for authors, screenwriters, playwrights, illustrators, architects and architectural researchers (PhD Level minimum) for at least one month and up to two months (dates to be agreed upon with the residency), based on a call for applications. The aim of this residency is to help architects, architectural researchers, illustrators and authors in the broadest sense immerse themselves in the Roman environment and to encourage networking within the local art scene and with other academies and research institutes, contributing in the long run to the development of their professional career.

Located in the heart of Rome, the Academia Belgica is now part of an international network of thirty-eight academies and research institutes from nineteen countries in the Urbs, with which it collaborates regularly. The Academia Belgica is a public utility foundation that welcomes highly qualified artists and researchers. Their aim is to be an interdisciplinary centre for hosting and promoting high-level scientific and cultural activities and act as a bridge between national academic and cultural institutions on one hand and international universities and research and cultural centres on the other hand in Rome and elsewhere.

Final registration date: midnight on Sunday 12 December 2021.
More information : Research and creative residency for architects, architectural researchers, illustrators and authors at Academia Belgica in Roma

– Research and creation residency for visual artists at the Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin (D)

In collaboration with the Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin, Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg offers visual artists a six-month research and creation residency based on a call for applications. During the residency, the artist benefits from:
– a studio in the Künstlerhaus Bethanien
– financial support
– technical support and constructive feedback
– production support

The Künstlerhaus Bethanien is an international cultural centre in Berlin. The Künstlerhaus Bethanien is a working and networking space for professional artists, enabling the creation, dissemination and presentation of works. The annual programme echoes with the challenges encountered in the international visual arts scene. The Künstlerhaus Bethanien is located in the Lichtfabrik former workshops and offices in a district between Kreuzberg and Neukölln in Berlin.

The residency programme is a platform for artists from all over the world. The resident has the opportunity to work on and carry out a project for a set period of time and to immerse himself/herself in the Berlin art scene. The residency at the Künstlerhaus Bethanien is a great opportunity to network within the local art scene, contributing to the development of the resident’s professional career.

Final registration date: midnight on Sunday 19 December 2021.
More information : Research and creation residency for visual artists at the Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin