The Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP) in Luxembourg City has questioned the municipality’s decision to support the exhibition of an artist convicted of sexual harassment, particularly during Orange Week.
The issue was brought to the attention of Mayor Lydie Polfer in an urgent question submitted by the LSAP. The party is critical of the municipality’s stance, especially given the timing of the exhibition during Orange Week, an event focused on combating violence against women.
As part of Art Week, the installation “L’homme qui mesure les nuages” by Belgian artist Jan Fabre was exhibited at Glacis last weekend. Two years ago, Fabre received an 18-month suspended prison sentence for sexual harassment and indecent assault involving 12 former female employees.
LSAP local councillor Maxime Miltgen emphasised that the issue is not about permanently banning the artist’s work but about the “very problematic” message it sends. Miltgen highlighted the contradiction between the municipality’s support for a convicted artist and its commitment to fighting violence against women, as highlighted during Orange Week. The two events coincided this year.
While the LSAP acknowledges that Fabre’s artwork is “an important contribution to contemporary art,” it argues that exhibiting the statue without proper context is a decision that is “hard to understand.” The party suggests that the artwork should have been framed within a broader discussion, emphasising the ethical concerns surrounding the artist’s past actions.
Following the MeToo movement, Fabre, a choreographer, sculptor, and director from Antwerp, was publicly denounced by former employees in an open letter entitled “No Sex, No Solo,” which detailed a toxic working environment marked by power games and sexual harassment.
