American
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Article for September
Article
for June
Luxembourg European Capital of Culture 2007:
December 2007 - Final Update
Here is the final update for the ECC 2007. All quoted text is from the official program, which can be found on-line (www.luxembourg2007.org) and in hard copy from various locations, including the Central Ticketing Office, Pavilion Grand Ducal, Place de la Gare (Tel: 26.88.20.07) and the Luxembourg City Tourist Office, Place Guillaume (Tel: 22.28.09 or 22.75.65). Previous articles about the ECC 2007 are posted the AWCL web site: www.awcluxembourg.com.
Closing Party - December
8
Luxembourg Ville
Avenue de la Liberte, Pont Adolphe, Rotonde2, Place
Guillaume, Place Clairfontaine and other locales
Beginning at 5:00 pm
December 8 marks the end of the European Capital of Culture Year 2007, the title of which Luxembourg has shared with the Greater Region of Lorraine (France), Rhineland & Saarland (Germany) and Wallonie (Belgium)—as well as the city of Sibiu, Romania. The organizers promise to put on a "grandiose party" in Luxembourg City, covering the area from the Gare to the Upper Town and including the Rotonde2 in Bonnevoie. The streets will be transformed into one large pedestrian zone, where the artists "will turn night into day" with intervention theater, surreal ballet, music and an aerial parade. A public ball will be held under a tent on Place Guillaume, and an "electro party" of contemporary music will take place in the Rotonde2. The organizers hope to create "an atmosphere between dream and reality, magical creatures, giant puppets and strange giraffes"that "will capture you and whisk you off into their world full of legends and fairy-tales." Along the way, of course, stands will be offering seasonal treats of food and drink.
Some Program Highlights
Here are a few exhibits and performances taking place in December through early 2008. Descriptions are modified excerpts from the official ECC 2007 program.
James Nachtwey - Images of War and War of Images. November 12, 2007-January 9, 2008. Abbaye de Neumunster (www.ccrn.lu) and Galerie Clairefontaine (www.galerie-clairfontaine.lu). Already having shown at the "Photo Meetings" in Luxembourg in 2005, James Natchwey is back again with a series of unpublished photos taken in Baghdad. For the past 25 years, the American photographer and "anti-war reporter" has been taking pictures of the world's centers of conflict. In the tradition of William Eugene Smith and Robert Capra, whose pictures showed him the gap between reality and the political discussion, Natchwey has devoted himself to the fight against the insufferable.
Pablo Picasso - His Work of the 1950s. November 10, 2007-February 24, 2008. Saarlandmuseum, Moderne Galerie, Saarbrücken, Germany (Tel: +49/(0)681 9964-251; www.kulturbesitz.de). The 1950s were a transitional period in Picasso’s work. Deeply influenced by the visual language which emerged as a reaction to the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War, Picasso’s post-1950 work- often described as a supreme example of modern art - not only put its mark on design, advertising and fashion, but also had far-reaching and ground-breaking repercussions on many other aspects of the daily life of those years. The exhibition shows about 100 paintings and illustrations brought together from internationally renowned museums and private collections.
rainy days 2007 - paint it black. November 23-December 9, 2007. Philharmonie, Luxembourg Ville (www.philharmonie.lu). Founded in 1999, rainy days provides Luxembourg with a unique festival of contemporary music. In 2007, rainy days will be filled with mystical nocturnal sounds. Be prepared for a new sound experience, because at nightfall one’s acoustic perception takes on a new dimension - clear sounds become mysterious whisperings, impenetrable walls of sound become invisible, suspended sounds. On the program: two big orchestral concerts, a film-dance concert and the already legendary rainy days "nocturne."
Here are some updates and highlights for
September.
Exhibit of Interest: Trans(ient) City
Trans(ient) City, art and
architecture projects, now through December 2007. This program consists of three projects: (1) Urban Lab--a permanent research
laboratory in urban history, shaping the potential future of Luxembourg. Throughout 2007, schools of architecture and
internationally acclaimed architects and urban planners from across Europe will
be invited to work on the project; (2) Urban
Landmarks (detailed below)--a series of art and architecture projects
designed to highlight a selection of key sites throughout Luxembourg City; and
(3) Community Life--a range of projects intended to bring new life to
isolated or abandoned urban areas and give the local communities the chance to
expand their cultural horizons.
The art critic and exhibition curator Hou Hanru lives in Paris and San
Francisco. He is the director of exhibitions and public art programs at San
Francisco Art Institute, where he also teaches exhibition studies and
museology. In 2007 he was curator of the
10th Biennale in Istanbul, Turkey. Born
in China in 1963, he moved to Paris in the 1990s. He has organized more than 50 international
modern art exhibitions. Currently he is
also professor at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam.
The following installations are the remaining
exhibits of the Urban Landmarks part of the program.
** Bus Tours **
These eye-catching installations are placed throughout Luxembourg
City. If you find it too far to see them
all by foot, you can take a two-hour guided bus tour to each of the
installations on the first Sunday of each month for a maximum fee of 6 euros.
Dates: September 2; October 7; November 4; December
2
Departure:
3:00 p.m. in front of the Rotondas, 62, rue de Bonnevoie, Luxembourg
City
Further information: infopoint@luxembourg2007.org
or Tel. 26 88 20 07
Booking:
www.luxembourgticket.lu or Tel. 47 08 95 1
GRANDES
LIGNES, by Hehe. Until December 2, 2007
Passerelle
couverte (covered footbridge) - Rotondes – rue de Bonnevoie - Luxembourg Gare
Luxembourg Ville
"Grandes Lignes" is a reactive
light system integrated into the architecture of the existing footbridge (passerelle).
The installation symbolizes the "Migration" theme of Luxembourg 2007 by walking
along the passerelle. Migration
is framed by the departure, the arrival and the trajectory between these two
points. On this trajectory one drags along the individual cultural
baggage - here the personal light sphere, which surrounds the traveler as they
move from one end to the other. The
responsiveness of the system functions ecologically and economically - saving
energy - and also metaphorically: Your shadow of light walks with you and
follows you.
INSTANT,
by Simone Decker. Until December 2,
2007.
Rue
Mohrfels - Pfaffenthal (at the river)
Luxembourg Ville
A scaled-down rendition
of the Grand Duchess Charlotte bridge (Red Bridge) stretches out catlike at the
foot of its huge model. It is the size
of a footbridge, but being made out of textile, there is no access to it.
Visitors play their part in lighting the reflective fabric with flashing
cameras and the glare of car headlights.
If shrunk still further, the Red Bridge may one day become a fully
functional table while keeping its proportions and aerial structure. These two
changes of scale, radical to the point of becoming changes of use, give the
artist the means to produce representation - in the literal sense of the word.
LUXtower
007, by Peripheriques Architectes. Until
December 2, 2007
Plateau
du Rahm - rue de Treves - Cents
Luxembourg Ville
This project is
based on the idea of the scenic lookout erected in Matsudai, Japan for the 2003
Triennale in Tsumari. This small lookout responds perfectly to the desire for a
place "to see and be seen". A
large-scale piece of furniture or a small-scale building: the dimensions and
utilization made it necessary to reconsider the project. The three levels are
made of galvanised steel: fine tubes form a corset structure that leads from
one level to the next. The tower looks to be in permanent motion, filigree and
fragile - which it isn't, of course. Depending on the distance from which it is
viewed, the outer skin made of crimped metal rhombuses appears to break up the
tower. Inside there is a small stairway giving access to a perforated sheet
metal platform that offers a novel view of the landscape of Luxembourg.
ORACLE,
by Justin Bennett. Until December 2,
2007
Rue
de Treves - Cents
Luxembourg Ville
Common in ancient
civilizations, the oracle makes predictions - but it also pronounces wise
statements, comments about the environment, personal advice, riddles,
instructions to act, political observations and inspiration for all visitors.
It attempts to answer all questions, especially those that the visitor didn't
ask… An oracle is a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel
or prophetic opinion; an infallible authority, usually spiritual in nature.
RED
SEA SAW, by Carle Michael von Hausswolff.
Until December 2, 2007
Facade
des ateliers - CFL Luxembourg Gare
Luxembourg Ville
"Red Sea Saw" focuses on a building in Luxembourg that runs a high risk of being torn down within the near future. Most of these kinds of industrial buildings are not built to be beautiful but instead are only functional. As this need automatically creates a structure that avoids ornamental and decorative matters, it has only one purpose - to function. Nature works in this way. This red monochrome light also discusses the function of the now 100-year old monochrome painting - the function it has and has had, and the structures and languages that lies behind the painted surface.
Here are some updates and highlights for
June.
News & Updates
Another New Web Site
Intro. The webmasters of the ECC 2007 web site keep things interesting
by changing the intro on a regular basis.
Currently (at publication deadline), the intro begins with a black box
and some text reading, "Slowed down, accelerated or in quick motion, even these
trivial, sometimes amusing scenes will appear to you as new and strange." Click on the black box, and you will see a
series of eleven moving images in close-up and at varying speeds, ranging from
an airplane flying overhead, to a hammer hitting a nail, breaking glass and
even someone blowing bubble gum (click on the image to fast-forward to the next
one). If you click on the upper left
corner where it says “Designer,” you will be taken to the web site of the
artist David Meier in Thionville who produced these images. This intro may change yet again by the time
this Grapevine reaches you, but check out the web site, in any event, to
see what new and amusing intro they might have created: www.luxembourg2007.org.
History of the Rotundas. Here is a
modified version of the story of the two Rotunda buildings, which play a
significant role in the ECC 2007 (Source:
www.luxembourg2007.org/traffo).
The two Rotundas are central
to the events planned for the Luxembourg and Greater Region, European Capital
of Culture 2007. The buildings are
round, built from solid rock and have a metal roof. From the point of view of structure and dimension, the twin
sisters are 100% identical and of an impressive size: 52 meters in diameter and
15 meters in height.
The Rotunda2 is the very
first cultural space in Luxembourg that is dedicated specifically to young
audiences. Its rough, unfinished state creates a uniquely dramatic atmosphere
for young artists and represents an ideal stage for creations beyond all formal
constraints, inspiring performances with the spirit of liberty and
adventurousness. A space of perpetual aesthetic and conceptual movement, whose
daily metamorphoses function in relation to the respective artistic disciplines
(theatre, dance, exhibitions, workshops, concerts...), the age of the
participants and the target audience.
Our glimpse into the history
of the Rotundas begins in 1875, the year they were built to be locomotive
shops. A revolving platform of thirteen meters in diameter offered room for
eighteen locomotives, and a cupola of 8 meters in diameter served as an outlet
for smoke.
Soon, with the advance of
technology, the Rotundas could no longer accommodate the locomotives that
became bigger and bigger. Hence, two
new Rotundas were constructed south of the Route de Thionville in the beginning
of the 20th century. From then on, the
"old" Rotundas served as storage space for the workshops of the
railway company CFL.
In 1952, CFL started using
their own buses, and the Rotundas were used as repair shops. In 1991, both Rotundas were classified as
historical buildings and have been owned by the Luxembourg Government since
1995. The first Rotunda, was used as
storage space by the CFL until 1999. The restoration work started in 2001.
In the Rotunda2, buses were
repaired until 2006. On October 10, 2006, the head of CFL passed on the key of
the building to the minister of culture. Until December 9, the day of the
official kick-off of "Luxembourg 2007", essential work was done to
make the construction secure and weather-resistant. The Rotunda 2 is now ready
to host the inauguration and opening of the children's and youth programme for
2007-the TRAFFO-festival, as well as a range of different events for young
audiences during 2007.
Why is TRAFFO called
TRAFFO? Again, a modified version of the explanation for TRAFFO, the
name given to the performance art program for young audiences. (Source:
www.luxembourg2007.org/traffo).
TRAFFO is the Luxembourgish
word for an electrical transformer - a device which transforms a high intensity
current into a 220 Volt, low intensity current for domestic use. Each household appliance then receives the
amount of energy necessary for functioning.
TRAFFO is staged at the
Rotunda2, which is round like the sun and like the windings of a transformer.
Locomotives and all sophisticated appliances work because of a
transformer--current passes… light flashes.
TRAFFO equals energy. TRAFFO
wants to share energy… in the form of performances. TRAFFO leads the current
from artist to audience--an audience mesmerized by tension, spectacle and
emotion in an encounter of adults, adolescents and children. Friendships will be formed, ideas will be
exchanged; the sparks of creativity will shine in everyone's eyes.
Old frames will be
shattered, old values shaken… this is scary, but makes us wary. The performing
arts make us vigilant as art opens our eyes. Let's hope that the eyes of the
TRAFFO-audience will make the Rotunda2 sparkle with amazement. Surely the
alternating current will become direct current of a frequency much higher than
1000 Hz…
Some Exhibits and
Events of Interest (modified excerpts from the official program).
TRAFFO. This
performance art program for young audiences reaches its conclusion in June with
five different programs for children ranging from the ages of nine months to
eight years. TRAFFO has been a big
success, and some of these performances sold out already by February. Visit the web site to see which programs
remain and whether tickets are available:
www.luxembourg2007.org/traffo.
Kutter et
l’expressionisme europeen. Art exhibit, July 7-September 2, Musée
National d'Histoire et d'Art, Luxembourg City. This exhibition will focus on the work of Luxembourg's greatest
artist, Joseph Kutter (1894-1941), in the context of European expressionism,
comparing Kutter’s work with that of other artists and thus highlighting the
uniqueness and originality of his art.
The exhibition will feature major works by Kutter held in the National
Museum of History and Art, museums abroad and private collections, alongside
paintings and drawings from museums abroad by other expressionist artists,
particularly from Germany, France, and Belgium.
Dates
to be announced.
December 7-20
Kulturfabrik
Esch-sur-Alzette