Participatory pizzas and a collective in action for its city
On our journey through the Minett, this month’s Minett Mash-Up is back in Dudelange. After being here a year ago to learn more about the new sustainable district “NeiSchmelz” in our podcast, we have returned.
The work of the Fonds de Logement to create residential, commercial and cultural spaces has already begun. But the site itself is already alive. Since 2016, DKollektiv has been active here and has been guaranteed the right to stay beyond the construction phase.
Our “Minett-Location” of the month: VeWa
VeWa, which stands for “vestiaire-wagonnage”, is part of the old Dudelange steelworks that closed at the beginning of the century. The VeWa is part of the NeiSchmelz site and will be preserved as part of the transformation of this former steelworks into a sustainable and new district of Dudelange.
Today, the VeWa is also a non-profit association that brings together several Dudelange associations, from the DKollektiv to the Photoclub and Inter-Actions. They all share the old industrial building, which now houses numerous studios, spaces and creative rooms.
VeWa has been preserved and renovated through participatory workshops in which citizens were encouraged to support the local associations. The result is impressive, and with a building that was partly built when the Dudelange steelworks were modernised in 1928, the city of Dudelange can boast a “tiers lieu culturel” that is already bringing life and culture to the future district of NeiSchmelz.
Our guest: Serge Ecker
Originally from Kayl, Serge Ecker is an artist associated with the ‘DKollektiv’ collective based in NeiSchmelz, Dudelange. He is a child of the Terres Rouges, a region marked by the mining industry, which has strongly influenced his work. His interest in exploring abandoned and industrial spaces led him to a career in art, although nothing seemed to predestine him for this path, coming as he did from a family of miners.
He studied graphic design and audiovisual arts in Nice before gaining experience in Germany. He was the first in Luxembourg to offer models made with a 3D printer. Serge Ecker is known for his sculptures made from recycled materials and his commitment to an environmentally responsible approach to art. The latter is demonstrated by his involvement in DKollektiv, which promotes the sharing of know-how and the enhancement of industrial heritage.
Through various initiatives, he seeks to rethink urban spaces and address environmental and social issues. His connection to the DKollektiv shows how Serge Ecker and his colleagues are trying to rethink the place of art in the contemporary city, influencing the cultural dialogue around urban regeneration.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
© Minett UNESCO Biosphere / Anouck Gengler
Our quiz:
For the current episode of our podcast, there are no answers to the questions that our guest asked us, because Serge Ecker surprised us with a creative quiz that you have to listen to for yourself…
Links to the topics of this episode:
- Serge Ecker: Our guets’ website
- D-Kollektiv: Participatory artists’ collective from Dudelange
- Lokomotivschapp Diddeleng: One of the buildings of Dudelange’s old steelworks, preserved in the new district and now home to a restaurant and a brewery
- Vestiaire-Waggonage (VeWa Asbl): A coalition of several Dudelange associations active in the fields of culture and citizens’ initiatives
- Esch2022: Esch-Alzette, the 10 other municipalities of the Minett biosphere and 8 French border municipalities were European Capital of Culture in 2022
- INPA (Institut national pour le patrimoine architectural): A government agency responsible for the protection and conservation of historic monuments
- Thierry Van Werveke: A late Luxembourgish actor from the Minett region who still enjoys cult status today
- Thierry van Verweke film series in cinemas: 15 years after his death, films starring the charismatic actor are being screened in Luxembourg cinemas until December
- Flying Cepelinai: An artwork by Serge Ecker, created together with a Lithuanian artist for Kaunas2022, European Capital of Culture in Lithuania, paying homage to a local dish
- Cepelinai recipe: How to cook the Lithuanian speciality
- Sols et sous-sols: An art project by DKollektiv in 2024, the results of which will be exhibited in October
- Bärbelendag: A commemorative day in honour of the patron saint of miners on 4 December
- Redwall: A sculpture by Serge Ecker that hangs in the Lycée Hubert Clément in Esch-Alzette
Contact us:
 |
 |
 |