Immerse yourself in the world of modern and contemporary creation.

The Mudam Akademie invites you to discover modern and contemporary art, by recounting how the artists of yesterday and today are inventors of aesthetic universes, as well as catalysts and interpreters of the major societal issues of our time. In direct resonance with Mudam’s exhibitions and its wide-ranging programme, this series of lectures shows that the museum is a place open to the world and its transformations. The Mudam Akademie aims to make art history accessible to everyone, whether they are beginners or more experienced visitors.

The Mudam Akademie is organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth.
A cycle designed and taught by Stéphane Ghislain Roussel.

A violinist, musicologist and art historian by training, Stéphane Ghislain Roussel is an independent stage director, playwright and exhibition curator. He is Artistic Director of the multidisciplinary creative bureau PROJETEN (Luxembourg). He is the author of numerous conferences and lectures at various art schools and universities in Germany, France and Italy, as well as seminars on the relationship between the arts. He curated the exhibition Opéra Monde, la quête d’un art total at the Centre Pompidou Metz in 2019-2020. He recently directed the diptych of operas Zu unseren Schwestern, zu unseren Brüdern at the Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg and his latest play Luonnollisesti (naturally, in Finnish) at the Escher Theater.

Programme

23.10.2024
18:00 – 19:00 | LU 
19:30 – 20:30 | FR
The desire for total art. A short history of artistic multidisciplinarity
In conjunction with the exhibition Xanti Schawinsky: Play, Life, Illusion
From the end of the nineteenth century to the present day, artistic disciplines have become increasingly permeable to one another. Correspondence, synaesthesia, total art and transdisciplinarity have gradually become generic terms and paths of exploration for artists. This event provides an opportunity to discover some of the key moments of these interactions and their connections torenowned art schools such as the Bauhaus and Black Mountain College.

06.11.2024
19:00 – 20:00 | EN
Sensitive technologies
Mudam Akademie in conversation with Cécile B. Evans
In conjunction with Radical Software: Women, Art & Computing 1960–1991
Spanning video, acting, digital and sculptural art, Cécile B. Evans’s practice takes on narrative forms to produce stirring accounts of human dynamics – exploring the instruments designed to govern human beings and the emotional and behavioural rebellions that are enacted by coming into contact with these systems. This conversation will address the various facets of their work and the interconnections between new technologies and sensitive perceptions.
Cécile B. Evans lives and works in La Plaine Saint Denis, France. They have previously exhibited at the Centre Pompidou, Paris; Tate Liverpool; Lafayette Anticipations, Paris; Whitechapel Gallery, London; Haus der Kunst, Munich and Singapore Art Museum, amongst others. Evans’ films have been screened at festivals such as the New York Film Festival and Rotterdam International. Evans’ work is held in public collections of The Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Whitney Museum, New York; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark and the National Museum of Art Seoul.

18.12.2024
18:00 – 19:00 | LU 
19:30 – 20:30 | FR
Creations from the future. Can art predict what’s to come? 
In conjunction with the exhibitions Agnieszka Kurant: Risk Landscape and Radical Software: Women, Art & Computing 1960–1991 
Since the beginning of art history to the present day, the visionary capacity of artists has often been demonstrated. Is art always a mirror of its time? Or does creative work have the gift of anticipating current changes? These are just some of the questions we’ll be exploring in this talk. This is also an opportunity to revisit some of the great moments in the history of art, looking at terms such as modernity, contemporary, aesthetic revolution...

22.01.2025
18:00 – 19:00 | LU 
19:30 – 20:30 | FR
Pop culture and subversion. Artworks that set your teeth on edge 
In conjunction with the exhibition Cosima von Bonin: Songs for Gay Dogs
From cartoons to horror films, electronic music to the flow of images on the Internet, popular culture serves as a vast source of inspiration for many contemporary artists. In these often disorienting associations of images, humour can act as a driving force, even at the risk of unsettling the audience. Through the work of artists such as Cosima von Bonin or the Luxembourgish painter Michel Majerus (1967, Esch-sur-Alzette – 2002, Niederanven), we explore these vibrant worlds that convey a subtle, and sometimes fierce, critique of our standardised world.

19.02.2025
18:00 – 19:00 | LU 
19:30 – 20:30 | FR
Image and temporality: photography as a medium to resurrect the past 
In conjunction with the exhibition Lisa Oppenheim: Mons. Steichen
Photography, while exploring innovative image-making techniques, maintains a close connection with the notion of temporality. By examining key moments in the history of this medium, we aim to show how archives and the use of past images can serve as raw material and sources of inspiration for the development of unique artistic worlds.

12.03.2025
19:00 – 20:00 | EN
Mudam Akademie in conversation 
In conjunction with the exhibition Lubaina Himid & Magda Stawarska: Nets for Night and Day
The British Black Arts Movement is a political artistic movement founded in 1982, inspired by anti-racist discourse and feminist critique, aiming to highlight themes of racism, gender and the politics of representation. This session invites us to delve into the connections between art history, cultural studies and political activism, to better understand how contemporary creation and social change intertwine and influence each other, particularly around the deconstruction of colonialism and imperialism.

09.04.2025
18:00 – 19:00 | LU 
19:30 – 20:30 | FR
Pushing the boundaries of the real. Video production and the Asian scene 
In conjunction with the exhibition Ho Tzu Nyen. Time & the Tiger
From animated cinema to music, art history and theatre, video serves as a convergence point for artistic genres and references. Beyond aesthetic concerns, it can also be a space for expressing identities and cultures. In resonance with the work of Ho Tzu Nyen, this session explores, through emblematic examples, how certain works push the boundaries of moving images, particularly through virtual reality. It will also take us on a journey to discover the richness of a vibrant contemporary scene in Asia.

30.04.2025
18:00 – 19:00 | LU 
19:30 – 20:30 | FR
Reconnecting with all living things. The new paths of Land Art
In conjunction with the installation The Living Pyramid by Agnes Denes and in collaboration with LUGA – Luxembourg Urban Garden
Founded in the 1960s in the United States, Land Art marked the emergence of an artistic movement directly engaged with the environment, sparking a groundbreaking interest in ecology at the time. In retrospect, however, one may question whether these interventions in nature were always in harmony with the realities of the ecosystems they engaged with. Since then, many artists continue to explore paths related to this movement, with environmental issues becoming increasingly urgent. In resonance with the first edition of LUGA – Luxembourg Urban Garden, this is an opportunity to explore the connections between art and ecology, as well as feminism.

11.06.2025
19:00 – 20:00 | EN
Working with matter and space. Sculpture in and beyond the studio
Mudam Akademie in conversation
In conjunction with the new presentation of the collection
While sculpture is a traditional medium of the visual arts, it has been profoundly transformed by many contemporary artists who have embraced it in innovative ways to create abstract compositions in space. The use of raw materials, the twisting of forms and the reimagining of architectural vocabulary allow for a fresh approach to working with matter and space. By sculpting both in the studio and in situ, contemporary sculptors explore and challenge this format in various ways, as seen in the new works of the Mudam Collection.

02.07.2025
18:00 – 19:00 | LU 
19:30 – 20:30 | FR
Visual Music. Music in contemporary art
In conjunction with Susan Philipz’s installation The Lower World, in collaboration with LUGA – Luxembourg Urban Garden, and to announce the exhibition Andrea Mancini & Every Island: A Comparative Dialogue Act.
Since the late nineteenth century, music has had a major influence on the visual arts – often accompanying, or even provoking, certain aesthetic revolutions – to such an extent that it is now difficult to maintain the strict separation of the arts, as established by the ancient Muses. So, what role does music play in the art of the past and present? How can we differentiate between sound art and musical creation and what place does music hold in the museum? These are some of the themes that will be explored in this final lecture of the season.

Mudam Akademie Practical Information
Wednesday night:
Double session:
Luxembourgish: 18:00 – 19:00 | French: 19:30 – 20:30
A single session as part of the conversations:
English: 19:00 – 20:00

To Sign Up
Complete cycle: mudam.com/rsvp-akademie-24-25
Auditors: visites@mudam.com; +352 453785-531 or directly at the museum’s reception

Fees
Cycle of ten conferences: 100€ | 50€ with the Mudam à 2 Card | 25€ Kulturpass
Auditors, per conference: 10€ | 5€ with the Mudam à 2 Card
Free for students and under 21-year-old

Certification
The Mudam Akademie conference cycle is organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth. A certificate will be awarded upon participation in a minimum of 70% of the classes.