On Wednesday 16 September PwC Luxembourg unveiled three striking pieces of contemporary art which are being displayed in the foyer of their Luxembourg headquarters, The Crystal Park, until 13 November this year.
The art has been provided by Mudam (Musée d’art moderne Grand-Duc Jean) and it was with considerable enthusiasm that its director, Enrico Lunghi, joined PwC partner Vincianne Istace to make the presentation.
The concept of moving art outside the galleries is not a new one. Here in Luxembourg we see plenty of examples. In the public world roundabouts all over the Grand Duchy are adorned with rusting, (or should that be patinated?) steel, stone or wooden edifices. On the business front we see restaurants whose walls are resplendent with pictures by aspiring local artists (generally with an equally aspirational price tag attached), whilst most office buildings constructed in the last 15 years obliged to display a suitably substantial piece of sculpture outside, “La Grande Fleur qui Marche” and “The Tall Banker” in Kirchberg being two of the most immediately visible ones for the casual passer-by.
To misquote ‘70s pop band 10cc, one could wonder, is it art for art’s sake, or money for God’s sake?
These corporate obligations and aspirations could make one a little sceptical about PwC’s latest initiative. The three works spread across the foyer certainly attract the eye, even if the context is not immediately apparent.
However, the presentations by first Enrico Lunghi, whose passion spilled out in his words, to the extent that he had to ask to be stopped “if he spoke too much, because he could talk about his subject for ever” and then, more revealingly, by Vincianne Istace, who spoke of her vision that the display should be “Useless, Priceless and Unexpected” and her hope that the pieces should promote conversation, provoke exchange of opinion and provide a moment of escape from the daily responsibilities of her colleagues at PwC, could easily sway opinion that, in fact, there really is no need to provide a context … let the art speak for itself, let those who are experiencing it speak for themselves.
Perhaps it is for this that PwC and Mudam should be applauded for this initiative, and maybe this is as close as one can get to a real world appreciation of “Art for Art’s Sake; Ars Gratis Artis”.
Photo by John Chalmers (”Good Stuff, the Pleasure Principle” by Bruno Peinado 2010)
