Kirchberg firms open doors to display private art collection

Art is not the first thing that springs to mind when looking at Kirchberg’s corporate buildings. But this Sunday, businesses and EU institutions will open their doors to the public to display their art collections.

From paintings to sculptures, photography or even architecture, the Private Art Kirchberg initiative is back after being postponed twice because of the pandemic. Visitors can take a look at the private art collection of firms such as Allen & Overy, Arendt, Clearstream, Deutsche Bank, the European Investment Bank, Fonds Kirchberg and UBS on Sunday between 11am and 6pm.

Some of the pieces, such as those at Fonds Kirchberg, are outdoors and while they may have gone unnoticed in the past, it will now be possible to view them alongside a guided tour. There will also be several activities for children as well as guided tours, in English and in French, at different locations.

If you’re unsure where to begin, why not follow the recommendations of MUDAM Director Bettina Steinbrügge. At Clearstream, she highlights the collection Faces and Phases by Zanele Muholi, a self-proclaimed visual activist. These photographs are part of the Female Perspectives collection, on show at Clearstream, which include powerful shots.

Visitors watching a video demonstration © Photo credit: LW archive

Another of her recommendations can be found at UBS – artwork by Luxembourgish artist Su Mei Tse that combines sound, nature and art. Steinbrügge was also “deeply touched” by the untitled portrait by Lyle Ashton Harris at Arendt, which explores the theme of equal rights. Arendt houses both a permanent collection and temporary exhibitions, and visitors will be able to view both. Their current temporary exhibition focuses on contemporary photography with well-known artists such as David LaChapelle.

If visitors’ appetite for art is not satiated after a tour of the private collections, they may also head to MUDAM. In partnership with the event on Sunday, visitors will benefit from a discount on entry tickets and on items at the museum shop.

A photography display at one of the companies in Kirchberg © Photo credit: LW archive

Since 2013, law firm Allen & Overy and MUDAM have teamed up, focusing on donations of video works as well as offering a curatorial fellowship in the field of moving images and new technologies at MUDAM. Four of the video artworks that have been donated to MUDAM over the years will be shown at Allen & Overy this weekend.

Visitors to Deutsche Bank can enjoy an exhibition called We are Part of Culture created by the non-profit Project 100% Human. It exhibits portraits of “people from past to present times, who had a major impact on European culture” and celebrates the LGBTQ+ community.

Doors will be open on Sunday between 11am and 6pm © Photo credit: LW archive

The EIB offers the so-called Unravelling, which includes 32 works acquired in the past four years and focuses on climate-conscious and socially engaged art.

Private Art Kirchberg started in 2006 and is held biannually and its aim is to unveil companies’ private art collections which are usually not accessible to the public and invite people for a different experience in an area normally dedicated to business, shopping or dining.

For more information and to view the full programme, click here.