When in 2001 the seven City museums of Luxembourg teamed up to create the Nuit des Musées (night of the museums)--an event where museums open their exhibitions and collections to the public from 6 pm to 1 am--Clearstream from the Deutsche Börse Group took the initiative and gathered a few other institutions to think of an event that complemented the museum event, Private Art Kirchberg.
Private Art Kirchberg is an open day where art collections of companies located on the Kirchberg plateau are made accessible to the public. Clearstream communications manager Marie-Chantal Weber has been responsible for setting up and managing the initiative together with her peers at the other participating organisations ever since they started in 2006. “Internally, we present our collections to employees and guests, but a large majority of the public would never have had access to the artworks that we own. We saw it as our responsibility to open our doors to the public at least once every while,” Weber told Delano.
From paintings, to sculptures, contemporary photography and installations, the event invites art lovers and the interested public to take a walk in a district that is normally known for business activities, shopping and gastronomy during a quiet Sunday from 11 am till 6 pm. “To get access to all these global companies alone is very interesting to them, and it’s their curiosity that is the most exciting part of the event,” Weber said.
She also added that, “We are happy that Private Art Kirchberg has developed into a cultural centrepiece of the Luxembourg financial community. It connects businesses and the public and paints a very nice picture of the international, diverse and all-embracing nature of Luxembourg.” Concerning the future of Private Art Kirchberg, Weber is very optimistic and hopes that more institutions will join next time.
Photo: Delano archives
What not to miss
Suzanne Cotter, the art director of MUDAM, selected one “coup de cœur” of each of the ten collections. This year, Allen & Overy, Arendt, Clearstream, Deutsche Bank Luxembourg, European Investment Bank, EY, Fidelity, Fonds Kirchberg, Pictet & Cie (Europe) S.A. and UBS will open their buildings to the public in order to present their art collections. Additionally, the companies and institutions will offer guided tours to give insights into the different art collections.
Between works by Luxembourg artists such as Roger Wagner and Su-Mei Tse, and international artists such as Chinese artist Xing Danwen; UBS’ photo collection will be one of the highlights of this event. “The collection UBS in Luxembourg is a journey for the eyes but also through the diversity of artists,” head of corporate services at UBS Valerie Dussourd told Delano, adding: “During this day, the eyes of some visitors and especially children allow us to look at the works from another angle,” she said.
“UBS has a large diverse art collection comprised of emerging talents to the most important artists in contemporary art,” Dussourd said. Since UBS participated in 2016, the company has acquired artworks from artists in residence of the Greater Region. “You will have the opportunity to discover new talents as well as our rich collection of photography,” she explained.
Private Art Kirchberg is free of charge and does not require registration. Click here to learn more about the companies and institutions and their art collection.