Christian Aschman’s ‘Kirchberg’ Exhibition Shows Plateau’s Hidden Angles

On the evening of Wednesday 8 November 2023, the Luxembourg Center for Architecture (luca) in Luxembourg-Grund hosted the vernissage of Christian Aschman’s exhibition “Kirchberg”, commissioned by the Fonds Kirchberg.

For over fifteen years, the Fonds Kirchberg has appointed renowned contemporary photographers to capture the ongoing metamorphosis of Luxembourg-Kirchberg’sever-shifting urban and architectural landscape. In the 2022–2023 edition, Christian Aschman, a Luxembourgish photographer, born in 1966, took the reins and explored a realm where historical layers intermingle, and where fresh structures emerge amidst the vanishing echoes of the old. “This work is a new memorial,” he said, noting that Luxembourg’s Photothèque helped him discover the old Kirchberg through historical photographs. He expressed his pride and joy at having been able to add to the documentation on this part of the city that already impressed him as a child. Back then, as he reminisced, when Luxembourg’s first motorway was put into service, the architectural view of the theatre, the red bridge and a “very tall building” already left an impression on him.

Christian Aschman embarked on a thorough, year-long exploration of this territory, conducting over 50 photographic sessions. Throughout this endeavour, he gained access to several buildings, allowing him to capture elevated perspectives. The organisers noted that some of these views had never been seen before as he gained access to private buildings (banks and businesses, among others) in order to catch very specific sights according to his own artistic view. These aerial views, shaped by chance or by human design, in different weather and lighting, exhibit carefully curated compositions showing Kirchberg from a multitude of angles and perspectives. Nature, parks and vegetation as well as architecture are the distinct focal points of Christian Aschman's photographs, with human figures rarely making an appearance in the frame. Through the lens of this architecturally impassioned photographer, the viewers also rediscover the vast expanse of the Plateau.

Numerous guests were present at the vernissage, which was followed by a reception.

The exhibition is now open to the public from Thursday 9 November 2023 to Saturday 3 February 2024. On Saturday 11 November, Friday 15 December 2023 and Wednesday 24 January 2024, Christian Aschman will offer guided tours of the photographs in English at 16:00. Reservations are required and can be made via https://form.jotform.com/232974094675368.