The artistic treasures of Luxembourg City
The City of Luxembourg is keen to develop contemporary art in the public space, and has an abundance of sculptures, frescoes and artistic installations.
To mark the bank holidays, Art Work Circle invites you to discover and/or learn a little more about the works in the capital's public spaces.
Sculpture "La Grande Tempérance
The French sculptor Niki de Saint-Phalle created this several-metre-high "Nana" in 1992. This sculpture represents a woman-goddess with generous forms who seems to be pouring wine from one jug to another. Although the bright colours of the sculpture initially evoke a feeling of joy, they actually serve to denounce/express the condition of women, as can be seen from the sculpture's perforated wings.
The piece was purchased by the City of Luxembourg in 1995 as part of the European Year of Culture. "La Grande Tempérance" is located in the grounds of the Villa Vauban.
Passe-muraille" installation
Inaugurated in 2016, the "Passe-Muraille" installation by the artist Jean Bernard Métais is located in the grounds of the Pescatore Foundation.
Measuring 4m high and 7m in diameter, it consists of two hemispheres facing each other to create a passageway. The metal installation is perforated on all sides to allow the walker to see the surrounding landscape and hear what's going on around them, while at the same time being in a kind of magical bubble, whose passage leads to a kind of connection/disconnection with the outside world.
Immortalitas" fresco
Franco is a contemporary artist from Luxembourg born in 1986. The Grand Duchy's street artist created this fresco in 2021 on the wall alongside the Luxembourg City Museum on rue Saint-Esprit.
Franco's style is easily recognisable through the use of bright colours and sharply outlined figures. The different colours are applied randomly, overlapping each other to create a homogenous whole.
Melusina" sculpture
Sitting on the banks of the River Alzette in the Grund, the Melusina statue by Serge Ecker pays tribute to the legend of the same name.
To create this work, the artist made a 3D scan of a real woman's body, which he then deconstructed using digital technology. The different facets were then assembled together to reform the body in its entirety. The fragmentation of Mélusine's body echoes all the different versions of the legend, and is intended as a contemporary representation of the medieval oral legend.
Walking in the city" sculpture
Located in front of the Arendt building in Kirchberg since 2015, the sculptural ensemble of Julian Opie lights up at night.
The British artist is well known in international galleries, and his work is exhibited at MoMa, the Tate and the Victoria & Albert Museum, among others. Julian Opie's work is easily identifiable thanks to the stylisation of the figures, made up of flat areas of colour contained by thick black lines. Silhouettes in movement have been central to the artist's creative process since the beginning of his career.
Five Good Spirits" light installation
The five light sculptures in the rue du marché aux herbes have been facing the Chamber of Deputies since 1997.
They were created by Ingo Maurera German industrial designer specialising in lamp design and light installations. The sculptures are made up of five pillars containing golden faces at the top, lit up at night to follow passers-by with their mischievous glances.
