The “Casino Bourgeois” was built in a central area of the capital by architects Pierre and Paul Funck between 1880–1882. In addition to the gaming rooms, it had a reading room and a restaurant and soon became a one of the city’s cultural and social hotspots. Its vast halls were used for all kinds of functions, including lectures, masked balls, plays and cabaret shows, concerts and the “salons” of the Cercle Artistique, and society meetings.

The “Société du Casino Bourgeois” began winding down in 1959 and the building was purchased by the State and rented out to the Cultural Circle of the European Communities, founded in 1954. In 1959, the latter had built onto the building’s south side, the glass and steel pavilion by Luxembourg architect René Mailliet and known today as the “Aquarium”. The Casino Luxembourg, now called the “Foyer Européen”, remained a centre for cultural and social events for the European Communities in Luxembourg up to the end of 1990.

In 1995, the year in which Luxembourg was European Capital for Culture, the Casino Luxembourg was created as a temporary exhibition space. In 1996 it was decided to use this new exhibition space as a contemporary art center, in preparation for the new museum for modern art that was being built at the time. After almost 15 years Casino Luxembourg has now found its place as a permanent center for contemporary in Luxembourg city. In 1998 the Casino Luxembourg hosted Manifesta 2.

Casino Luxembourg works with emerging artists who take a contemporary approach. In turn, it presents a programme that emphasises new productions and artists commissions. The exhibition program focuses on monographic, and thematic group exhibitions.

Casino Luxembourg presents approximately 3 main exhibitions and 3 project rooms (of which 2 are artists residencies) each year.

Most outstanding projects in recent years:

Wim Delvoye, Cloaca 1999-2007, 2007.

L’Ïil-Žcran, The screen-eye, 2007.

sk-interfaces, 2009.

Bruno Peinado, CASINO INCAOS. Baroque Courtoisie, 2010.

In order to convey the complexity and diversity of contemporary visual arts, Casino Luxembourg offers a number of framed activities (guided tours, encounters, contemporary music events, lectures etc.) The public program considers issues within the realms of art, culture, and philosophy.

InfoLab is Casino Luxembourg’s public library and reading room. It provides; 7,000 theoretical and monographic publications on art history from the 1960s to the present day; 50 portfolios on artists from Luxembourg; 40 international magazines on contemporary art and culture; information on the current exhibitions (including explanatory videos, publications and portfolios on the exhibiting artists, selected books for further information on exhibition-related themes, and press reviews). InfoLab’s online catalogue includeing exhibition catalogues, monographs, and artists’ books is available at: www.bibnet.lu.

One of Casino Luxembourg’s major interests is to gain the attention of all its varied audiences, paticularly its youger public. Education events include tours, workshops and didactic lectures.

Examples of Casino Luxembourg’s education events include creative workshops on new media and stop-cut animation. The educational department regularly organises activities for school groups of preschool, primary and secondary education.

Casino Luxembourg publishes monographic and group artsits books, as well as catalogues connected to its exhibition programme.

Casino Luxembourg has white cube gallery’s of 800 m2.