New presentations of the Mudam Collection

Portrait of a Young Planet | Mudam Collection
Septmebr 26, 2020-March 21, 2021

This new collection display takes inspiration from the iconic exhibition The Family of Man curated by Edward Steichen (b. 1879, Bivange; d. 1973, West Redding). Originally presented at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, in 1955, Steichen's exhibition toured to over 150 museums worldwide and has been on permanent display at Clervaux Castle in Luxembourg since 1994.

Curated for Mudam by Francesco Bonami with the assistance of Emanuela Mazzonis di Pralafera, this display and the presentation of Thomas Hirschhorn’s (b. 1957, Bern) Flugplatz Welt/World Airport (1999) in the West Gallery are part of a broader project that includes a specially commissioned digital platform, Me, Family: Portrait of a Young Planet. This presentation, is designed by Armature Globale, and the expanded online project poses the question of how to represent humanity at the start of the 21st century.

Portrait of a Young Planet, presents a selection of works from the Mudam Collection that consider the question of the human condition and the way in which the individual also associates himself with various communities. Man is a social animal who, regardless of his gender, origin or environment, interacts with others, sharing his experiences, his feelings, his habits and his life.

The works on display present the notion of the human condition through the prism of diverse social, historical and personal circumstances raising questions such as: What is man’s role in the globalised society of the 21st century? How do we deal with the profusion of images and information circulated in contemporary media? Do individuals see themselves as part of a group or are they more inclined to withdraw and live in isolation?

Curator Francesco Bonami, assisted by Emanuela Mazzonis di Pralafera
Artists István Csákány, Rainer Ganahl, Jack Goldstein, Andreas Gursky, Thomas Hirschhorn, Hassan Khan, Cristina Lucas, Shirin Neshat, Thomas Struth, Wolfgang Tillmans.

Giulia Cenci Prix Bâloise 2019 | Mudam Collection
September 12, 2020-January 17, 2021

Recent works by Giulia Cenci (b. 1988, Cortona, Italy) acquired for the collection with the support of the Baloise Group. The display is the first institutional solo presentation by Cenci, winner of the Baloise Prize, 2019.

The four new sculptures by Giulia Cenci are part of a series entitled Territory (2019). Anchored to the floor and walls, they appear to invade and occupy the space, creating an immersive, anthracite-grey environment. Industrial materials such as metal, polyurethane resin, epoxy clay and foam are combined with grease or dust from the artist’s studio. While abstract in character the sculptures contain identifiable figurative elements that draw diversely on inorganic forms, such as engine fragments, or organic material such as tree branches or part of a wolf’s body. These disparate parts are brought together via the casting process, through which raw materials, found elements and moulded forms are combined to produce a complex composition that includes both natural and mechanical references. Exploring contrasting forms and surfaces, from glossy to matte or smooth to rough, each element appears part of a dynamic and chaotic universe.

Giulia Cenci was awarded the Baloise Art Prize at Art Basel in 2019. Established in 1999, the prize is awarded each year to two young artists exhibiting in the Statements section of the fair. Cenci is the fifth artist to enter Mudam’s collection with the support of the Baloise Group since the museum became a partner of the Prize in 2015.

Curator Marie-Noëlle Farcy

Mudam Luxembourg – Musée d'Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean opened in 2006 in a purpose-built building designed by the renowned Sino-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei and is located in the Park Draï Eechelen, overlooking the historic city of Luxembourg. Through its collection, exhibitions, artistic and educational programmes and partnerships, Mudam Luxembourg aims to advance its mission to present the most relevant contemporary art of our time to the largest possible public, to stimulate scholarship and exchange, and to give attention to the changing conditions of art and its production, locally and globally.