A new exhibition at Mudam is offering visitors a different way of experiencing art. Titled Seven Paintings – Seven Encounters, the show presents seven works by seven different artists, but not all at once. Instead, each painting is displayed individually in a changing monthly cycle, allowing every piece to command the space on its own.
Curator Vanessa Lecomte explained that the idea behind the concept was to create a new kind of hanging format. Each month, the museum reshapes the exhibition to spotlight a single work from its collection, sometimes one that has rarely been shown, sometimes one that highlights the breadth and diversity of Mudam’s holdings. The aim is to give visitors time and focus to truly engage with each painting without distraction, she said.
Lecomte said that many of the works featured are recent acquisitions, reflecting the evolving character of the museum’s collection. She added that the selection moves across styles and sensibilities, from abstract expressionism to more conceptual approaches, and even works that echo surrealist traditions.
The exhibition opens with a large-scale painting by Luxembourgish artist Berthe Lutgen, a recent addition to the collection acquired in 2023. Her monumental work La Marche des Femmes fills almost the entire gallery space and sets a powerful tone for the series.
The painting is conceived as a celebration of women and their struggles. Lecomte described it as a tribute to feminist movements and the demands that have shaped them, adding that Lutgen structured the work as a ten-panel frieze, evoking classical monumental compositions such as those seen in major museums. Lecomte said that each panel represents a different continent and highlights key figures who have played a role in advancing women’s rights.
The work looks both to the achievements of the past century and to the battles that continue today.
It was no coincidence that Lutgen’s painting was chosen to launch the exhibition. Lecomte said that the final phase of its display will coincide with 8 March, International Women’s Day, adding that the piece was completed in 2019, exactly 100 years after women gained the right to vote in Luxembourg, representing a symbolic anniversary.
Seven Paintings – Seven Encounters will unfold in seven successive phases and runs at Mudam until 23 August.
