Monika OSVALD
Luxembourg Art Week (LAW) 2023. Art destination for new discoveries
Reviews and Presentations, 13 March 2024
Luxembourg Art Week (LAW) celebrated its ninth edition from November 10 to 12, 2023, with a Preview held on November 9, 2023, at the Luxembourgish variant of the "Grand Palais Éphémère" located in the centre of Luxembourg City. Notably, attendance saw a 10% increase compared to the previous year, with the number of visitors rising from 20,000 to 22,000.
A series of strategic readjustments
Gallerist Alex Reding, the founder of the fair in 2015, has assumed the role of CEO; concurrently, Caroline von Reden has been appointed as the new Director of Strategy. Caroline von Reden brings a wealth of experience, having previously served as the head of VIP and Collectors programs at the viennacontemporary and Collectible design art fairs. She has also participated in projects such as the Münzsalon Berlin, the transformation of Brody House into BrodyLand in Budapest (a pioneering space combining boutique hotel and art collection), and establishing the European connection for the art club Tofiq House in São Paolo, Brazil.
The fair’s medium- and long-term development strategy focuses on promoting Luxembourg as a preferred destination for collectors and art enthusiasts seeking new discoveries. Luxembourg boasts several strategic advantages, including its multicultural, cosmopolitan, and multilingual environment, with almost 53% of residents being foreign-born. Situated at the crossroads of diverse influences and cultures, Luxembourg is an essential component of both the Benelux and the Greater Region (Saarland, Lorraine, Luxembourg, Wallonia and Western Rhineland-Palatinate). The recently constituted board seeks to widen the fair's geographical influence by actively promoting the involvement of new exhibitors from Northern, Southern, and Eastern Europe. Simultaneously, in accordance with the objectives of Luxembourg's governmental agency, Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg, the fair will emphasize its strong ties to the local community. It will continue to serve as a unique platform for participants from the regional art scene, facilitating their connection to global networks and enhancing their visibility. Additionally, it will serve as a gathering hub for local artists working in cities such as Paris, Berlin, Zurich, Hamburg, and beyond.
Three sections with around 80 exhibitors and Vienna Calling
The Selection Committee has chosen 80 exhibitors from a pool of double the number of applications, distributed across three sections: Main Section, Take Off, and [Focus] Wien. The Main Section brings together a selection of established contemporary art galleries representing artists with international recognition, and secondary market art galleries presenting modern masterpieces. Supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Take Off section is specifically devoted to young emerging galleries, artist-run spaces, and artists' collectives aiming to display original works at affordable prices.
Alternating with the Solo section, which allows each booth to display the work of an artist through a dedicated project, the [Focus] directs attention to the art scene in a different European city every two years. After Brussels in 2021, this year’s [Focus] explored the diversity and vitality of the Viennese scene, a hub open to Central and Eastern Europe. Curator Monika Georgieva selected five established and emerging galleries: Rodler Gschwenter (focus on figurative painting and sculpture), zs art (interdisciplinary artistic concepts), bechter kastowsky gallery (open to Eastern European art scene), Sturm & Schober (exhibiting young artists at international fairs), and Ernst Hilger (specialised in modernism).
In Luxembourg, three prominent galleries that have achieved significant international recognition are Nosbaum Reding, Ceysson & Bénétière, and Zidoun-Bossuyt.
Véronique Nosbaum and Alex Reding founded their contemporary art gallery in 2001, initially called “Alimentation Générale”; it was only in 2006 that the gallery took its final form and name Nosbaum Reding. In 2014, they added a Projects space, to support young artists, and in 2021, the first foreign branch in Brussels. The gallery features artists who are in the middle of their international careers, including Filipino artist Manuel Ocampo or French painter and sculptor Damien Deroubaix. They also represent important Luxembourg artists, such as Su-Mei Tse, winner of the Golden Lion for best national participation at the Venice Biennale in 2003, and Tina Gillen, whose project "Faraway So Close" was selected for the same Biennale in 2022.
François Ceysson and Loïc Bénétière established the Ceysson & Bénétière gallery in Saint-Étienne in 2006. Bernard Ceysson, a prominent French art historian and a key player in the creation of the Museum of Modern Art (MUDAM) in Luxembourg, joined the venture later. The gallery initially expanded its presence in French-speaking Europe, establishing locations in Luxembourg, Paris, Geneva, and Lyon. In 2017, they further extended their reach by opening a gallery in New York, situated in the Upper East Side district. In 2015, the Luxembourgish gallery relocated from the city centre to Windhof (Koerich), where they now occupy an expansive 1,200 m2 space. This venue provides artists with comparable exhibition areas to larger galleries, without the accompanying financial burden and pressure. The gallery program is primarily focused on the forefront of modernity, emphasizing the latest avant-garde developments as well as a new expression of modernity within the French (Claude Viallat), North American (Frank Stella), and Luxembourgish (Robert Brandy, Roland Quetsch) art scenes.
Inaugurated in 2013, Zidoun-Bossuyt gallery, joined forces and experiences of their founders. Nordine Zidoun first opened an art gallery in Paris and moved it to Luxembourg in 2008. Audrey Bossuyt is a former independent art adviser, who started her career in the art world by working at the Xavier Hufkens Gallery in Brussels. In 2022, the gallery opened two new locations in Dubai and in Paris. Gallery Zidoun-Bossuyt is a pioneer in the promotion of contemporary African-American creation (Noel W. Anderson, Titus Kaphar, Jeff Sonhouse), and the emerging African diaspora scene, with Njideka Akunyili Crosby and Wangechi Mutu. The engagement of the gallery in historical exhibition projects featuring artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jean Dubuffet, and Keith Haring also establishes its presence and influence within the secondary market.
In recent years, the art gallery scene in Luxembourg has experienced significant activity, with new entrants displaying distinctive profiles and contributing to the vibrant landscape.
Established in 2017 by dedicated collector Gérard Valerius, the Valerius Gallery is displaying contemporary art from both international and local emerging artists. In this context, the gallery organizes the exhibition of Young Luxembourgish Artists (YLA), which hosted its inaugural edition in 2021. The name is by no means without meaning, as the original idea of JLA follows the example of the art group "Young British Artists", which was founded in London, Great Britain. The artists of the Luxembourgish group are by no means a collective of artists, but all represent different styles, characteristics and express themselves through different media. Born between the 1980s and 1990s, all the artists have pursued their study abroad.
Even before establishing his own gallery, Fellner Contemporary, Hans Fellner played a significant role in the Luxembourgish art scene. He was well-known as the author of several books and as the owner of a specialized art bookshop. Established in 2020, the new gallery is exclusively committed to the Luxembourg contemporary art scene. It serves as a platform for emerging artists who have yet to display and sell their work, providing them with a valuable opportunity to gain exposure and recognition (Sandra Lieners, Max Dauphin).
One of the last addition in the Luxembourgish art galleries scene is Reuter Bausch Art Gallery, founded by Julie Reuter and Lou Bausch in 2021. Their program is committed to facilitating a meaningful dialogue across generations, encompassing established artists, mid-career practitioners, and emerging talents (Roland Schauls, Catherine Lorent, Simon Demeuter).
Public sculptures by Atelier Van Lieshout and Pauline lounge & café
Following Jaume Plensa (2020), Joana Vasconcelos & Maen Florin (2021), and Stijn Ank (2022), this edition presented The Rebellion by Dutch artist Joep Van Lieshout and his prolific atelier in Rotterdam. Atelier Van Lieshout (ALV), founded in 1995, brings together artists, designers, architects and different artisans. At the crossroad of these disciplines, the studio employs a raw, prototypical aesthetics that revisits the history of arts, preferring the collective practice to the myth of artistic genius.
Five sculptures found their place on the prominent locations. The Monument (a monument for a future rebellion) was set up on the Place de Metz, Volvo (the balance between construction and destruction) on the Roundabout Robert Schuman, and Last Supper (as the start of a new system of beliefs) on the forecourt of Notre-Dame Cathedral. The Whale (conflict between nature and humanity) took the place in the Park Dräi Eechelen, and Waterwagon (a period of reconstruction after a rebellion) in front of the Centre Jean XXIII, headquarter of the Luxembourg School of Religion and Society (LSRS). Waterwagon is part of Slave City, an imaginary complex that is both utopian and dystopian. It is a completely self-sufficient city, free of hunger, sickness, and unemployment. However, the inhabitants perform their slave labour necessary for its smooth operation.
Pauline-Rose Dumas created the design for the lounge and café named after her, with support from Delen Private Bank, a new Co-Main Sponsor, joining ATOZ Tax Advisers. Born in Paris in 1996, Pauline-Rose Dumas is a French artist who completed her studies in textiles at London’s Chelsea College of Art and at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. She emerged as one of the five winners of the last edition of Artists Development Programme (ADP), launched eleven years ago by the European Investment Bank (EIB). Pauline developed her project during her residency at the Cité des Arts in Paris, under the mentorship of Tatiana Trouvé.
Deloitte Private and ArtTactic Art & Finance Report
The Luxembourg artistic scene is renowned for its rich diversity. During the fair, several events took place in Luxembourgish cultural institutions, and a series of conferences conducted during the fair are still available via LAW YouTube channel. However, there are also certain players, unique for Luxembourg, such as the Luxembourg High Security Hub or the Art & Finance services of Deloitte.
Shortly after the fair, the fifteenth Art & Finance Conference took place at Deloitte Luxembourg on November 21, 2023. Continuing the tradition, the 8th Deloitte Private and ArtTactic Art & Finance Report was presented by its leading authors: Adriano Picinati di Torcello, the Global Deloitte Art & Finance Coordinator, and Anders Petterson, the Managing Director of the research company ArtTactic.
The primary conclusions of the report indicate that the art and collectible wealth of global Ultra High Net Worth Individuals (UHNWIs) is projected to reach an estimated US$2.861 trillion by 2026. Over the past three years, there has been a notable increase in global interest in fractional art and collectibles investment, especially among NextGen collectors. The progress of the intersection of art and technology signals the onset of a new era for the convergence of art, collectibles, and finance. There is a consensus among 76% of wealth managers, 82% of art professionals, and 70% of collectors that the art market requires modernization in its business practices. The key challenges identified include a lack of transparency and provenance, concerns surrounding authenticity, forgery, and attribution, as well as the pressing need for international standards regarding professional qualifications within the art market.
In summary, Luxembourg Art Week and the nation's art scene display considerable creativity, evolving new models and presenting numerous possibilities for diverse and complementary approaches. This could serve both an inspiration and an opportunity for Slovenian artist and art professionals.
Photos 1-4: Monika Osvald
Photo 5: Alberto Fabio Ambrosio (LSRS), Waterwagon
Author:
Monika Osvald
Ta e-poštni naslov je zaščiten proti smetenju. Potrebujete Javascript za pogled.
Citation: Monika Osvald, Luxembourg Art Week (LAW) 2023. Art destination for new discoveries, Bilten SUZD, 43/3 [13. 03. 2024], 2024 (http://www.suzd.si/bilten/prispevki/1641-bilten-suzd-43-2024-03 [date of reading])
