what looks good today may not look good tomorrow: The Legacy of Michel Majerus

Through a series of talks and performances followed by a panel discussion, the symposium what looks good today may not look good tomorrow: The Legacy of Michel Majerus, organised by Mudam Luxembourg—Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, investigates the influence of Michel Majerus’s (1967, Esch-sur-Alzette—2002, Niederanven) work on the practice of the “digital-native” generation of artists, curators and researchers. International speakers working in and researching the field of visual arts will address the relevance of Majerus’s reflections today, while discussing different aspects of his legacy.

In the span of a short yet exceptionally prolific career, Majerus has captured his time—decades marked by the expansion of globalised consumer culture and digital technology. His large-scale paintings and installations, characterised by the “sampling” and collaging of an eclectic repertoire of imagery and text borrowed from art history, video games, commercials and electronic music resonate with the image and information frenzy of the Internet 2.0 pervading contemporary society. In his work, Majerus transgressed the well-worn rules of painting and created unmistakable interpretations of the pop culture of the 1990s and early 2000s that remain of unfailing relevance today.

The symposium what looks good today may not look good tomorrow: The Legacy of Michel Majerus is the first chapter of a programme dedicated to the work of Michel Majerus and will be followed in spring 2023 by an exhibition at Mudam and a publication, published by Sternberg Press, gathering the contributions to the symposium.

Participants: Cory Arcangel (artist), Karen Archey (curator, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam), Motoko Ishibashi (artist), Ingrid Luquet-Gad (art critic), Fabian Schöneich (director, CCA Berlin—Center for Contemporary Arts) and Sarah Johanna Theurer (curator, Haus der Kunst, Munich).

Curated and moderated by Bettina Steinbrügge (director, Mudam Luxembourg), with Clémentine Proby (assistant curator, Mudam Luxembourg) and Joel Valabrega (curator of performance and public programmes, Mudam Luxembourg).

The complete programme as well as the live stream of the symposium will be available on Mudam’s website.
The symposium will be held in English.

Please register via this link to attend, or contact c.proby [​at​] mudam.com.

Mudam Luxembourg—Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean promotes creativity, visionary thinking, openness and cultural participation for all. Like Luxembourg itself, Mudam is situated in Europe but has a global and outward-looking vision. Mudam is committed to a more inclusive and responsible world in which museums play a leading role in the transmission of our cultural heritage to future generations.

Our mission is to collect, conserve and present the most relevant contemporary art of our time and make it accessible to a wide audience. Through its exhibitions, publications, and artistic and educational programmes, Mudam fosters research and dialogue while giving special attention to the changing nature of art and its production across the world.