Since 2016, Lët’z Arles has been bringing a bit of Luxembourgish creation to the Rencontres d’Arles. As an association that supports and promotes photography and artists linked to Luxembourg, Lët’z Arles offers each year to artists a complete creation and diffusion device. From July 1 to September 22, 2024, Luxembourg photographer Michel Medinger will be exhibiting at Chapelle de la Charité, curated by Sylvie Meunier.

Born in Luxembourg in 1941, Michel Medinger gradually developed a regular photographic practice. A self-taught photographer, he has experimented with a number of techniques: B/W photography, darkroom work using his own chemistries, cibachrome and Polaroids, creating a very special world for himself. An avid collector of objects, he uses these techniques in strange compositions filled with irreverent humor. His photographs, sometimes on iconoclastic subjects, are imbued with a sense of humour and poetry. Beyond his studio, he draws on objects from his everyday environment to construct his compositions and photographic tableaux, like a cabinet of curiosities. By obsessively staging them, with a penchant for surrealism, he introduces a singular narrative and relationships of scale. Michel Medinger leaves nothing to chance.
His work has taken the artist all over the world. He has exhibited his Polaroid Masterprints in Beijing, and taken part in exhibitions in Luxembourg, France, the USA, Denmark, Russia, Poland and Japan.

The launch of the Luxembourg Photography Award (LUPA) and the LUPA mentorship marks a new milestone for Lët’z Arles, which has been the driving force behind Luxembourg’s presence at the Rencontres d’Arles photography festival in France for almost a decade. The move is being supported by Kultur | lx as part of its remit to promote international career development.

Since its inception in 1970, the Rencontres d’Arles has been a fixture in the calendar for photography professionals the world over. It was in 2016 that the Lët’z Arles association, building on Luxembourg’s dynamic photography scene, first brought the country to this highly selective arena, where it has since become a major presence.

LUPA winner Daniel Wagener’s exhibition opus incertum (running until 21 September) featured in the Rencontres’ official programme. Wagener (born 1988), who works in both Brussels and Luxembourg, and the exhibition’s curator Danielle Igniti have championed this project in meetings with the press and public, as well as in presentations of the concurrently published book. The latter was painstakingly put together by the artist (who is also a printer), combining the prints presented in the exhibition with risographs. The exhibition, whose title refers to Roman dry-stone structures that were not built to last, challenges the architectural and social transformations of the exhibition venue – the Chapelle de la Charité – by showcasing images of contemporary construction sites, presented in racks of the kind found in DIY or furniture stores. In this deconsecrated building, one form of worship has been replaced by another: the former still evident in the richly decorated altar, the latter a secular cult of consumption and commerce.

Although this year marked a return to the Chapelle de la Charité after the successful Romain Urhausen exhibition in the Espace Van Gogh, the Lët’z Arles project has nevertheless broken new ground. The launch of the LUPA and the LUPA mentorship represents an undeniable step forward both for the Luxembourg photography scene and for its presence in Arles. While the LUPA rewards an artist, selected by an international jury, by staging an exhibition of their work as part of the Rencontres’ official programme, the mentorship consists of a three-month mentored residency in partnership with the École Nationale Supérieure de la Photographie d’Arles (ENSP), a higher education institution dedicated to photography. The programme, which ran from January to April, enabled the mentored artists to develop their practice through masterclasses, workshops and group work sessions. As the winner of the 2023 LUPA mentorship, Brussels-based Rozafa Elshan (born 1994) benefited from this Kultur | lx-supported programme. She will be showing her work in the Display01 space at the Centre National de l’Audiovisuel (CNA) in Luxembourg from February 2024, at the same time as Daniel Wagener, who will be exhibiting in the CNA’s Pomhouse.

In partnership with Lët’z Arles, Kultur | lx organised a press trip to showcase the Arles projects as well as the exhibition Night Crossing by Martine Feipel and Jean Bechameil at the Chateauvert Contemporary Art Centre in Provence, a 90-minute journey from Arles.

In 2024, Kultur | lx will continue to support the Luxembourg scene in Arles by encouraging applications from photographers wishing to present their work at the Arles portfolio sessions, through dedicated mobility grants and by organising networking events. So expect to hear more about Luxembourg talent in Arles in the future!

Lët’z Arles in collaboration with the Centre national de l’audiovisuel (CNA) and with the support of the Ministry of Culture, is pleased to announce the creation of the Luxembourg Photography Award and the Luxembourg Photography Award mentorship.

Lët’z Arles is constantly adapting its support programmes for artists, in line with artistic needs and practices. After 7 years of generous commitment to the creative process, Lët’z Arles has renamed its support programme the Luxembourg Photography Award (LUPA).

This programme of support for artists is offered in two formats:
An exhibition at the Rencontres d’Arles for the winner of the Luxembourg Photography Award.
The winner of this first LUPA is Daniel Wagener and his exhibition opus incertum, presented at the Chapelle de la Charité as part of the 54th Rencontres d’Arles, curated by Danielle Igniti from 3 July to 24 September 2023.
The exhibition is accompanied by a publication, anchoring the project over time and providing a complementary perspective to the works on display. The publication features a number of photographs to complement those in the exhibition, as well as a series of risographs echoing the artist’s own practices.

A mentorship-residency for the winner of the Luxembourg Photography Award mentorship – with the support of Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg.
Rozafa Elshan benefited from a 3-month mentorship-residency in partnership with the Ecole nationale supérieure de la photographie d’Arles.
Between the end of January and the beginning of April, this artist development programme focused on the theme of ‘Printed Spaces’ and offered participants a full range of masterclasses, workshops and group work sessions, all under the guidance of Professor Gilles Saussier. The mentoring concluded with the presentation of an assessment of their work in the form of models and sketches of future projects.

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.

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)

 

The Rencontres d’Arles is the most important photo festival in Europe. Thanks to the initiative of Lët’z Arles, artists from the Luxembourg scene have been able to present a project there since 2017.

Following a slightly different format from past editions and in order to give a specific opportunity to an artist already registered in the history of Luxembourg photography to exhibit in Arles, the nominators of Lët’z Arles submitted to an international jury composed of experts in photography, proposals of names of photographers likely to be shown during this 5th edition.

The jury, which met in April 2020 (at that time there was still a question of choosing the artist for the 2021 edition, which was finally postponed to 2022), unanimously chose the photographer Romain Urhausen to embody the Luxembourg presence at this edition. When his selection to exhibit in Arles was announced, the artist was deeply moved and delighted by this opportunity. He quickly began fruitful exchanges with the curator Paul di Felice, in order to build the exhibition’s itinerary together. Following the artist’s death in July 2021, the preparatory work for the project continued without his complicit gaze, but with respect for his mischievous spirit, thanks to the collaboration of his relatives and the lenders of his works.

Prolific, but little known in France, the photographic work of the Luxembourger Romain Urhausen is distinguished by his singular style between the French humanist school and the German subjective school of the 1950s and 1960s, to which he actively contributed. Often a pretext for formal and poetic exploration, his photographic subjects, also tinged with humour, go beyond a classical representation of reality. The themes that punctuate the exhibition show how everyday life, people at work, the urban landscape, the nude or the self-portrait are approached through a plastic and experimental approach. The subjective aesthetic, learned from Otto Steinert, has left its mark on Romain Urhausen’s formal language, his way of dealing with contrasts and framing, but also his way of looking at the world differently. This vision is highlighted in the exhibition, which puts the author’s photographs in dialogue with those of his peers, creating new “elective affinities”.

“Romain Urhausen en son temps”
Curator: Paul di Felice
From 4 July to 25 September 2022 at the Rencontres photographiques d’Arles – Espace Van Gogh

An exceptional collaboration with delpire & co*
As a result of an exceptional collaboration with Lët’z Arles and the NAC, a book dedicated to Romain Urhausen will be published by the French publishing house specialising in photography, delpire & co. The bilingual book (French/English) presents a selection of 48 photographs by Romain Urhausen, accompanied by a text by Paul di Felice and a contribution by critic and author Carolin Förster on Subjektive Fotografie. The exhibition includes graphic works, often captured using experimental techniques, as well as his famous photographs of Les Halles, taken before the Pavillon Baltard was demolished in 1971.

* With the support of Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg 

On 3 March 2022, Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg invited the Visual arts sector for a convivial moment of exchange at the Konschthal in Esch-sur-Alzette. This sectoral meeting was an opportunity to review the various support offered by Kultur | lx, as well as to present the actions planned for 2022. The event ended with a visit of the exhibition Instant Comedy by Filip Markiewicz (presented until 22 May 2022).

More than 35 professionals gathered in the Konschthal to discover or rediscover the support offered by Kultur | lx to the Visual arts sector.

Kultur | lx offered support to encourage mobility (mobility aid for career development; tour support; support for participation in fairs) and increase renown (Luxembourg Focus programme; promotion support) of Luxembourgish creation.

In order to raise awareness of an artist’s work within the sector and among the public, and to foster knowledge of different artistic practices, Kultur | lx supports the production of an artistic portfolio with the porfolio grant.

Finally, four residency programmes are open to Luxembourgish artists in partnership with Kultur | lx, two are exclusively dedicated to the Visual arts sector:
– Research and creation residency for Visual artists at the Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin;
– Research and creation residency at the Darling Foundry in Montreal, Canada;
And two multidisciplinary residencies, open to artists from all sectors:
– Multidisciplinary research and creation residency at the Cité internationale des arts in Paris;
– Research and creative residency for architects, architectural researchers, illustrators and authors at Academia Belgica in Rome.

These support will also be reinforced by actions. In the first half of 2022, Kultur | lx will set up operations to strengthen the sector’s skills and its international connections.

On 6 April 2022, a workshop will be offered to visual artists, design and craft professionals entitled: Present your approach to the international art professionals.

In addition, on an international level, scouting visits will be organised during major international events in order to discover a part of the international scene. Curated studio visits will be set up in Luxembourg to create new opportunities and connexion for the Luxembourg Visual arts scene.

The networking event that followed the presentations highlighted the needs of the sector and reinforced Kultur | lx in its role of supporting the career development of professional artists.

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, continuing the commitment of the Fonds culturel national to its partners, has taken over the Künstlerhaus Bethanien residency in Berlin and offers to visual artists a six-month research and creation residency, based on a call for applications open in December 2021.

The residency program is a platform for artists from all over the world. The winner will have the opportunity to work on and realize a project for a defined period of time and to immerse themselves in the Berlin art scene. The residency at the Künstlerhaus Bethanien will provide an opportunity to network with the local art scene, contributing
to the development of the recipient’s professional career.

The committee, made up Claudine Hemmer (ministère de la Culture), Clément Minighetti (MUDAM), and Mike Bourscheid (artist, residency laureate 2021), examined the 8 applications received and made recommendations to the Künstlerhaus Bethanien, which then took the final decision. Following this selection process, the residency was
awarded to Lisa Kohl for her project SHUTDOWN DREAMS | ANGELS IN FALL.

Statement of the jury
The jury recognize the coherence of Lisa Kohl’s proposal, which is in line with her overall artistic vocabulary and purpose, but also with a residency in Berlin that offers many possibilities for exploration. Lisa Kohl has integrated all the issues of this residency, wishing to take advantage, in the writing of her own work, of the Berlin socio-political context, along with her artistic history. The jury considered that Lisa Kohl’s project, both precise and floating, playing on anchoring and dis-anchoring in space, allows for free interpretation, particularly in her ability to go beyond the photographic medium and its issues. The artist intends to mix her work with the Berlin art scene in order to give it more body, to deepen his research by confronting it with another view. It is this openness in a project that has been constructed that the jury wanted to encourage. Moreover, the residency seems to come at a good time in the career of Lisa Kohl who has benefited from a good international and national visibility in recent months (Rencontres d’Arles, Prix Steichen). This residency could open up other possibilities in terms of networking and dissemination of her work, perhaps with the Kunstvereine.

Statement of Künstlerhaus Bethanien
We are delighted to declare Lisa Kohl as the next Luxembourg scholarship holder at Künstlerhaus Bethanien. The artist has a very individual, clear, expressive and yet subtle visual language. We are particularly convinced by Lisa Kohl’s photo series Shelter in its combination of performance and photographic representation. The series Passage, which she presents similarly in light boxes on concrete pedestals, also combines an outstanding photographic aesthetic with important subject matter. The artist confidently and coherently chooses a wide variety of media, including video and sound, to convey her respective themes.

About Lisa Kohl
Lisa Kohl was born in 1988 in Luxembourg. She lives and works between Luxembourg and Germany. Her work takes various forms, such as collaborations with performing arts, photo series, sculptural and audiovisual installations. Lisa Kohl holds a Bachelor’s degree in plastic, visual and spatial Arts from the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Visuels La Cambre, in Brussels, and graduated with honours (2017) from the Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule in Halle, Germany. In 2021, she was laureate of the Aide à la création et diffusion en photographie grant from the Centre national de l’audiovisuel (LU) and is nominated for the Karl Schmidt-Rottluff grant, Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes (D). She was chosen by the jury of Lët’z Arles to participate in the Rencontres de la Photographie d’Arles in 2020-2021. She was nominated for the Edward Steichen Prize in 2019 and has already completed a residency in Los Angeles in 2018 at Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House e.V. She describes her artistic position as follows: “I am interested in the relationship between artistic creation and social reality. I create images for subjects that touch me closely, making the big gap between socio-political commitment and personal visual language. To do this, I go directly to the field and seek to get closer to the margins and precarious living conditions. […] My artistic research [is marked] by the strong points of flight and exile, presence and absence, place and non-place. […] Originating from a real context, a space of experience is opened up, which gives voice to the people I meet and to the theme to be problematised. The interventions, sculptures and images related to different contexts refer to our
collective memory, which is poetically questioned in my works in a dialogical mode.”

The Rencontres d’Arles is Europe’s most important photography festival. Thanks to the Lët’z Arles initiative, Luxembourg artists can present their projects at the festival’s Chapelle de la Charité venue. For the 2021 festival, this opportunity falls to Daniel Reuter and Lisa Kohl.

Daniel Reuter (b. 1976) is working with curator Michèle Walerich to present Providencia at the festival.

As for Lisa Kohl (b. 1988), she is working with curator Danielle Igniti on an exhibition entitled Erre. She has a completely different focus, as she is interested in the relationship between artistic creation and social reality, focusing on outsiders and people living in precarious conditions.

The Rencontres d’Arles

from 4 July to 26 September

Chapelle de la Charité, Arles

Homepage – Les Rencontres d’Arles (rencontres-arles.com/en)

Lët’z Arles (letzarles.lu)

Daniel Reuter

lisa-kohl.com