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Call for applications for the conception of the Luxembourg Pavilion at the 60th Venice Art Biennale (Call closed)

Kultur | lx, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and Mudam Luxembourg, is launching a call for applications in connection with Luxembourg’s participation in the 60th Venice Biennale, the renowned international contemporary art exhibition that will run from 20 April to 24 November 2024.

Through its support for Luxembourg’s regular involvement in the Venice Biennale, the Ministry of Culture ensures that Luxembourg artists are present at one of the world’s most important contemporary art events, thereby expanding the reach and influence of Luxembourg’s artistic scene on the international stage.

Since 2018, the Luxembourg Pavilion has been staged at the Arsenale, one of the two main sites of the Venice Biennale, clearly enhancing its profile among the both general public and professionals. For the 60th Venice Biennale, the Luxembourg Pavilion will be organised by Kultur | lx in cooperation with Mudam Luxembourg.

The call for applications is open to visual artists or artist collectives, across all disciplines, having Luxembourg nationality or residing in Luxembourg.

Applicants will be selected in two stages:

1. Shortlist applicants
Deadline: 26 February 2023
Shortlisted applicants notification : The week of 6 March 2023.

2.Project selection
Deadline: 23 April 2023.
The winning project will be announced on the week of 1 May 2023.

The Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition

The Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition is one of the world’s largest and most important international platforms for contemporary art. In addition to the main exhibitions organised by curators, some 90 countries take part in the Biennale Arte via national contributions.

In December 2022 the Board of La Biennale di Venezia appointed Brazilian Adriano Pedrosa, curator and artistic director of the Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand (MASP), as Curator of the 60th Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition in 2024. The theme of the general exhibition is not yet known.

The Pavilion

The Luxembourg Pavilion’s exhibition space is located in one of the rooms of the Sale d’Armi at the historic Arsenale site, which also hosts the International Exhibition and some of the National Pavilions.  A description of this space, which covers 240 m2, can be found here.

Selection process

Applicants will be selected in two stages.

  1. Shortlist applicants

Deadline: Applications must be submitted by midnight on 26 February 2023 via the Kultur | lx platform: https://support.kulturlx.lu/en/.

Applications must include the following:

  • Covering letter – Preliminary design/concept (one A4 page)
  • Portfolio
  • Curriculum vitae

Shortlisted applicants will be notified during the week of 6 March 2023.

 

  1. Project selection

Deadline: Applications must be submitted by midnight on 23 April 2023.

In this stage, the shortlisted artists will be invited to submit a detailed project description that includes the following:

  • Artistic project description (no more than five A4 pages)
  • Technical description, including plans, sketches, etc.
  • Estimated budget

A budget guidance note and the procedures for submitting applications will be sent to the shortlisted applicants when the shortlist is announced in the week of 6 March 2023.

The shortlisted artists will be invited to present their project to the jury during a 30-minutes audition that will take place in Luxembourg in the week of 17 April 2023.

The shortlisted artists will receive compensation of €1,500 for finalising the project for the second round. For the winning project, this compensation shall be considered a down-payment. The names of the shortlisted artists will be published.

One project will be selected as the winning project and recommend to the Minister of Culture, who will then award the contract to design the Luxembourg Pavilion.

The jury’s decision is final.

The winning project will be announced on the week of 1 May 2023.

Members of the jury

The entire selection process will be handled by one and the same jury. The jury will comprise national and international experts, as well as representatives of Mudam Luxembourg:

  • Adam Budak, Director, Kestner Gesellschaft Hannover
  • Michelle Cotton, Head of the Artistic Programming and Content Department, Mudam Luxembourg
  • Hélène Doub, Head of Visual arts, Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg
  • Hélène Guénin, Director,MAMAC | Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain de Nice
  • Stilbé Schroeder, Curator, Casino Luxembourg – Forum d’art contemporain
  • Bettina Steinbrügge, Director, Mudam Luxembourg, President of the Jury
  • Joel Valabrega, Curator, Mudam Luxembourg
Selection criteria

The members of the jury will be guided by the following criteria when making their selections: artistic background of the applicant(s), relevance and originality of the project, how well the project fits into the international context of the Biennale, and the technical and financial feasibility of the project.

Applicant profile

Applicant artists must have Luxembourg nationality or reside in Luxembourg. For an artist collective, at least one member must have Luxembourg nationality or reside in Luxembourg. Applicants must also be able to demonstrate, via relevant experience, that they are professional visual artists. Artist collectives and transdisciplinary artists are also welcome to submit applications.

Contact

Questions about the call for applications or the selection process may be sent to the following e-mail address: biennale@kulturlx.lu

Incomplete applicants and applications received after 26 February 2023 will not be eligible for the selection process.