The art of tilting cars

In Denmark you tilt cows, so the myth goes; according to the idiom the English enjoy “tilting at windmills”, and in Luxembourg it appears, you tilt cars.

Fonds de Kirchberg celebrates its 50th Anniversary from September 16 to November 12 by decorating the Parc Central on the Plateaux de Kirchberg with a collection of mysterious, thought-provoking and entertaining oeuvres.

Seven artists were asked to contribute with sculptures fitting the theme “Kirchberg and its realities”, resulting in curious objects that, in the words of Didier Damiani, curator of the exhibition, “are communicating with their locations”.

Three Luxembourgish artists (Marco Godinho, Sophie Krier and The Plug) and four international (Pedro Barateiro, Hugo Canoilas, Leni Hoffmann and Claude Lévêque) each gave their best shot at illustrating daily life in Kirchberg. Marco Godinho assembled 12 flags in the middle of the park, representing the twelve bronze stars on the European flag. According to the artist, his “sans titre” questions the transparency of the European Union while highlighting the potential loss of the member-states’ national identity and pride.

Sophie Krier’s audio-montage, “PPPPPPlateau”, is a audio clip of the living Kirchberg, i.e. interviews (and background noise) with people living, working and being in Kirchberg at the time of recording. The Plug’s contribution, “la Déception”, is a portal with inverted gates to symbolise a blocked passage yet simultaneously the free circulation in the Schengen area. Pedro Barateiro from Portugal has created an outdoor seating area overlooking the Parc Centrale.

German Leni Hoffman’s piece “Munka”, placed in front of the Centre National Sportif et Culturel, lets colours and architecture come together in unison to create a new relationship with the swimming pool and the neighbouring heating station.

France’s Claude Lévêque has placed a camping caravan on top of a breezeblock pile decorated with light bulbs. The oeuvre illustrates the frequent passage of caravans through Luxembourg (and Kirchberg), while highlighting the contradiction of stability (the block) versus mobility (the caravan). Finally, Hugo Canoilas from Portugal has placed three tilted cars along the Avenue J.F.Kennedy symbolizing the amount of cars passing through everyday and their impact on the environment. To the untrained eye, these pieces of art resemble serious car crashes, and spectators might wonder whether their macabre nature might contain a deeper meaning. As the cars look in good enough condition to simply roll over and take for a spin, there's one phrase that springs to mind, “Dude, where’s my car?”