Putting art back in Europe's heart

Luxembourg may not be the first place that springs to mind when the subject of modern art comes up, but during a brief visit last month, I found more than enough to keep aesthetes happy. Here are my suggestions for a cultural tour with a difference…

First stop: the train station. Follow the ubiquitous blue reindeer that now symbolize the country’s position as European capital of culture this year. The surreal animal should direct you over a footbridge leading to the Rotondes on the other side of the railroad tracks. These are restored and converted stone roundhouses, originally used for turning and maintaining steam engines in the 19th century. Today they house temporary exhibitions or are used as a unique stage for contemporary performances. Rotonde 2 will host a whole season of events aimed at a younger audience this year, including Traffo, a performing arts festival, as well as Art Basics for Children—supposedly the most innovative cultural program for kids in Europe. Currently you can see Martin Parr’s Assorted Cocktail photographic exhibition in Rotonde 1, including his specially commissioned series on Luxembourg that I covered in January (Issue no. 8).

Next stop: the Casino! No risk of losing your shirt here as this casino, in downtown Luxembourg, is a forum for contemporary art. This month the Casino is involved in a tri-part exhibition, ON/OFF, housing 15 light installations and venues in Metz and Saarbrücken (some of the city’s landmarks are given a luminous treatment as well). The building itself has its own story to tell—Liszt gave his last public recital here in 1886.

But the highlight for me was discovering the Mudam, or Museum of modern art, on the periphery of town, by the EU offices and the Philharmonic. Apart from being a beautiful building in its own right, designed by I.M. Pei (he of the Louvre glass pyramid fame), this spacious, er, space is a welcome breath of fresh air to a city with a tendency to play the quaint cutesy card. Airy and light, the museum is perfect for viewing the current retrospective exhibition of native son Michel Majerus.

Majerus’ work brings pop, installations, and minimalism together in a gutsy, brash, energetic way, guaranteed to catch your eye and provoke a reaction—one work has a title I cannot print here; others seem familiar until you realize they are like remixed lyrics: a cartoon figure here, advertising logos there. Don’t be put off by this show, and be sure to explore the rest of the venue. I found Wim Delvoye’s re-visited Gothic chapel particularly fascinating (a very different look at stained glass windows reminiscent of Gilbert and George), and the museum shop is quirky and truly original, like a Christmas market, except that it is stocked only with items that tell a story.

Addresses:
La Rotonde 1, 62 rue de Bonnevoie (behind the main train station), L-1024 ; website : www.luxembourg2007.org Martin Parr’s exhibition runs until April 8, 2007.
Casino Luxembourg, 41 rue Notre Dame, BP 345, L-2013; tel. +(352)22-5045; website: www.casino-Luxembourg.lu
Mudam Luxemburg - Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, 3 Park Dräi Eechelen, L-1499; tel. +(352)45-3785-1; website: www.mudam.lu