Céline Coubray: Why is it important for the ministry of culture to support the 1% art law?
(ET): It allows us to promote art and architecture, to include art in our public spaces and buildings. Accessibility to culture is one of our priorities, and this law contributes to this in all the regions of Luxembourg, in a spirit of decentralisation.
Is this an ‘obligation to decorate’?
ET: It is an obligation, of course, but above all I see this law as a good investment in culture and art. Public buildings invest in the design and construction of their buildings, and it seems normal and logical to me that the state should also have a responsibility to showcase art and display it for everyone to see.
Kevin Muhlen (KM): In the upstream discussions and subsequent assessments of artistic proposals, the notion of decoration is not central to the discussions. The aim of this law is to create a dialogue between a work of art and a building, an artist and an architect, users and a community that lives in the building. Proposals are often oriented in this direction of dialogue with the public, with interactive works or works that resonate with the architecture.
The 1% law was revised on 8 March 2023 in line with recommendation 20 of the Kulturentwécklungsplang 2018-2028. What are the differences compared to the previous law, which dated from 1999?
ET: The biggest change is the creation of the artistic committee and the artistic planning commission. The artistic committee, set up for each project, assists the client in selecting the work of art and integrating it into the building. The artistic design commission has become a permanent body with the task of advising and informing clients and artists about this law.
KM: The law is now entirely in the hands of the ministry of culture, whereas previously it was shared between the public buildings administration and the ministry of culture. This has enabled the culture ministry to reformulate the law and take a more complete view of the project.
Can you tell us which buildings are involved? And the presumed clients?
ET: The law applies to all state, parastatal and local authorities. It applies from the moment that at least 25% of the construction of the building is financed by the state and that the building is intended to be used by the public. While the public buildings authority has already adopted this practice of commissioning art, it is important to emphasise that local authorities have a responsibility to assume.
The commission for artistic development has become a permanent body with the task of advising and informing project owners and artists of this law.
If this law is an obligation, are there any binding measures?
ET: No, not for the moment.
KM: With the commission, we are there to inform and develop the visibility of the 1% artistic principle. We are also correcting a certain amount of misinformation, for example the fact that project owners think that the culture ministry is going to give them a grant to carry out the project. This is not the case, however, since the project is to be funded, as its name indicates, to the tune of 1% of the building’s construction costs. It is therefore a process that must be integrated into the building’s construction budget. But we’re here to support them and answer any questions, with the experience that the members of this artistic committee have gained from previous committees.
How do you ensure the quality of the works commissioned, and the commissioning process, to avoid cronyism or the pitfall of inferior art?
ET: There is a clear procedure in the law to ensure that the selection of works of art is objective and of high quality. The project owner is also supported by the artistic committee, which advises and assists him in the process of selecting the artistic project.
KM: The juries are also anonymous. The applications are numbered and analysed on the basis of evaluation criteria such as artistic quality, integration into the building, feasibility, budget, etc. The names are only revealed at the end of the process. So there is a framework to ensure that the selection is neutral, objective and justified.
How can artists gain access to these projects?
KM: The calls for projects are published and are aimed at professional artists. They have to meet specific specifications. We’re generally talking about big projects, so you have to be able to handle the production and set-up. This is of course open to Luxembourg artists, but these are European markets. This helps to diversify proposals and works.
The law is now entirely in the hands of the ministry of culture, whereas previously it was shared between the public buildings administration and the culture ministry.
Is there an inventory of these works?
ET: As far as public buildings are concerned, it’s the public buildings administration that counts them. In total, there are around 70 works in public buildings, but this figure also includes works that don’t come under the 1% scheme. There are no figures yet for local authorities. But we are in the process of trying to set this up at the ministry as part of the Observatoire de la culture.
Can the ministry of culture intervene in the development, maintenance or restoration of these public works?
KM: No, because ownership is in the hands of the client. It’s up to them to enhance the work, maintain it and restore it if the need arises. The idea is to encourage real cohabitation, and therefore to take ownership of the work, including its upkeep. The aim is also to make the owners more responsible.
Can this law be retroactive for owners who had this obligation and didn’t apply it?
KM: No, that’s not the case. The potential of this law is less interesting retroactively, because the idea is to create a dialogue between the work of art and the building. If we intervene once the building has been constructed, it is much more restrictive. For the project to be a success, it has to be integrated into the construction process as early as possible.
ET: We still need to do more in terms of communicating about this law, particularly with local authorities, to make it better known and therefore more effective. As the former mayor of Schieren, it’s important for me to inform the various mayors about this law.
Arborescence(s) is installed in the Lenkeschléi school in Dudelange. Photos: Serge Ecker and Marc Lazzarini
Dudelange, the good student
The city of Dudelange is particularly dynamic when it comes to commissioning works of art for its municipal buildings. It could even be said that it is a role model. It was the first municipality to apply the 1% principle, even before the 1% law for municipal buildings. In 2020, the municipality set up a pool of artists, which now includes 44 professional artists, who are called upon when a project comes up. Recent projects include Wandrouse fir d’Lenkeschléi (2023) by Trixi Weis and Arborescence(s) (2023) by Alice and David Bertizzolo, which can be seen at the Lenkeschléi school. Since this year, the Crèche Italien has also been home to Serge Ecker’s Scintille (2024).
This article was written in for the , published on 23 October. The content is produced exclusively for the magazine. It is published on the website as a contribution to the complete Paperjam archive. .
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