MINETT MASH-UP (31) – TRIXI WEIS X KINOSCH

A Saint, an Artist, a Clock and More

This month we are back in the Minett region, this time stopping off at the Kulturfabrik in Esch-Alzette. However, this episode is not about the dynamic history of this cultural institution, which over the past 40+1 years has secured a prominent place in the local, regional and national cultural landscape. Instead, it focuses on a tradition that is still celebrated in the Minett region more than 40 years after the closure of the country’s last iron ore mine: the feast of Saint Barbara.

Barbara is the patron saint of miners and other trades and is celebrated every year on 4 December. In recent years, Barbara’s celebrations have experienced something of a renaissance. That’s why the CNCI and the Kulturfabrik decided to organise a “Bärbelendag” with a special programme at the Kufa.

This evening is the focus of our interview with Trixi Weis, who has created a statue of Barbara especially for Bärbelendag, which will be carried in a procession through the Kulturfabrik on 4 December.

Our guest: Trixi Weis

Trixi Weis, born in 1967, has called Esch her home for many years. After studying in Belgium, she lived and worked in the Czech Republic for over 10 years before returning to Luxembourg in the early 2000s.

Trixi Weis quickly made a name for herself here with her art installations and stage designs. To date, she has created over 40 different stage designs for all the theatres and many other cultural institutions in the country. Although Trixi’s art is often ephemeral, there are installations by the artist that are permanent and well-known throughout the country. One of these is the “City Clock” on the Kirchberg, which we of course discussed with the artist.

Other topics in this episode of our travelling podcast are Trixi’s years in Prague and of course Trixi’s performance at the Bärbelendag in the Kulturfabrik on Wednesday 4 December.

Trixi Weis Website

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Our “Minett-Location” of the month: Kinosch

The Kulturfabrik is a 4,500 m² cultural centre with two halls for concerts and events, a bistro and a restaurant. There are also rehearsal rooms and even a small cinema: the Kinosch.

From 1983 to 2016, the Kinosch presented a regular programme and was one of the two cinemas in the town of Esch, along with the Ariston. Since 2016, the cinema has only been used sporadically for film screenings and other events.

When the Kulturfabrik was still a slaughterhouse, the Kinosch housed its heating system.

Links to the topics of this episode:

Uni Lëtzebuerg: Official website of the University of Luxembourg
Vëlodukt: Bicycle and pedestrian bridge connecting the center of Esch with the Belval district
Rout Lëns: Part of the former steelworks “Terres Rouges,” where a new residential area is currently being developed
La Cambre: National School of Visual Arts in Belgium
Fluxus: Artist collective that attracted attention in the 1960s and 1970s with its avant-garde ideas
CAL – Cercle Artistique de Luxembourg: Non-profit organization dedicated to promoting art and its development in Luxembourg
Jean-Guillaume Weis: Luxembourgish dancer, brother of Trixi Weis
City Clock: Artwork by Trixi Weis on Avenue John F. Kennedy in Kirchberg
Kulturfabrik: Short form: Kufa; cultural center in Esch on the site of the former slaughterhouse
Kinosch: Cinema hall on the Kufa premises
Steve Karier: Luxembourgish actor, who briefly served as director of Kufa in the 1990s
Bärbelendag: Feast of Saint Barbara, celebrated every year on December 4th; the day when miners honor their patron saint
Esch2022: In 2022, the city of Esch, along with the 10 other municipalities of the Minett Biosphere and the 8 municipalities of the Communauté de Communes Pays Haut Val d’Alzette (CCPHVA), held the title of European Capital of Culture
Kamelleschmelz: Project created by Trixi Weis as part of Esch2022
Metz: Capital of the French department Moselle. Saint Barbara is the patron saint of the city of Metz
AAPL: Association des Artistes Plasticiens du Luxembourg
Bourse documentation d‘artiste: Financial support from Kultur_LX to enable artists to document their work
Luxembourg Art Week: Art exhibition that takes place every November in Luxembourg-City