Ian Hamilton Finlay
The works of Ian Hamilton Finlay (1925, Nassau, Bahamas – 2006, Edinburgh) blend into the landscape. The title Huius seculi constantia atque ordo inconstantia post eritatis a St.J. (1990), a piece installed in the Park Dräi Eechelen behind Mudam, comprises a Latin quote from Louis Antoine de Saint-Just (b. 1767, Decize, France – d. 1794, Paris), a political orator during the French Revolution who was known for his eloquence, and means ‘The present order is the disorder of the future’. It is an invitation to contemplation and a reflection on the notions of ruins, vestiges, and fragments. The Mudam Collection includes a second work by the artist, also exhibited in the public space, in the valley of Clausen, in Luxembourg City.
Ripple (2001), which is on permanent display on the banks of the Alzette river in the Clausen district, is a slate plaque inscribed with a free verse quintain, giving the title a poetic definition. It is an invitation to contemplate a natural phenomenon, as well as a reflection on the metaphorical complexity of this highly evocative word.
Artworks
Ian Hamilton Finlay Huius Seculi Constantia Atque Ordo Inconstantia Post Eritatis A St. J., 1990 avec Annet Stirling
Pierre
700 x 550 cm
Collection Mudam Luxembourg
Donation 2022 – American Friends of Mudam, Collection Raymond J. Learsy
© Photo : Sven Becker
Ian Hamilton Finlay Ripple, 2001 Gravure sur ardoise
60 x 140 cm
Collection Mudam Luxembourg
Acquisition 2002
© Photo : Christian Mosar