Exhibition to Show Moselle through Ivana Ceković’s Eyes

On Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 August 2024, from 14:00 to 19:00, an exhibition of paintings by Ivana Ceković titled “Miselerland” will take place at 9 Rue Dicks in Remich.

“Miselerland” is part of the “Wine Culture Enjoy” event in Luxembourg’s Moselle region.

In the hall of the Caves Desom, alongside the monumental mosaics she created in 1999, Luxembourg artist Ivana Ceković is exhibiting a collection of landscapes of the Luxembourg Moselle valley. Pictorial research on various media (wood, canvas and paper) explores the beauty of the so-called Miselerland, the artist's favourite region. Following the Moselle towards Bech-Kleinmacher, on the Esplanade near the Caves Desom, visitors can (re)discover the sculpture Niké, a newly restored winged cow by the same artist. The sculpture was bequeathed to the town of Remich by the Hôtel St Nicolas in 2001.

Ivana Ceković is an interdisciplinary visual artist active in the international art scene since the 1990s. She has lived and worked in Luxembourg since 1992 and has held numerous exhibitions in the Grand Duchy, in Europe and the United States. Ivana Ceković has represented Luxembourg in international artistic projects and video festivals on four continents. She has also authored several interdisciplinary projects integrating urban installation, video, music and performance.

Ivana Ceković is one of the founders of the Luxembourgish artistic association Musel Link the creator and curator of the miMO project (miniature MOnumental). She has organised exhibitions of contemporary miniature art in Luxembourg since 2015, as well as international exchanges, collaborations and guest artist interventions. Her works are found in public and private collections in the Benelux, the United States and Serbia.

Speaking to Chronicle.lu, Ivana Ceković gave some insight into her upcoming exhibition and her artistic approach.

Chronicle.lu: Please share the story behind the monumental mosaics you created in 1999 and how they relate to your current exhibition at the Caves Desom.

Ivana Ceković: In terms of artistic research, the quest for the rhythms of light within a monochromatic universe is the main link between my mosaics from 1999 and my recent landscapes on wood. This year, my monumental mosaics are celebrating their 25th anniversary. Over the years, I've realised that even people who know my work well are often unaware of the existence of these three monumental pieces.

I was invited by ORT to join their initiative "Wine Culture Enjoy," which is part of the Ministry of Tourism's "Lëtzebuerg, dat ass Vakanz!" initiative. This year, the theme focuses on culture in different regions. As the “Wine Culture Enjoy” events are organised in collaboration with regional winemakers, I thought the most suitable place to exhibit the different cycles of my Miselerland landscapes would be the hall of Caves Desom, with my mosaics facing the river.

I created these mosaics in 1999 in collaboration with Carlo Signorini, a fourth-generation mosaic artist born in Ravenna, Italy, on 27 May 1941, and who passed away in Vianden, Luxembourg, on 15 September 2019. By exhibiting in this space, I also wanted to pay homage to Carlo.

Chronicle.lu: Can you describe your creative process when working with different media such as wood, canvas and paper? How does each medium contribute to your artistic vision?
Ivana Ceković: I enjoy working with different supports and materials. The main leitmotifs of my work are orchestration and polyphony. Experimenting with various techniques and supports is like orchestrating with different instruments in search of subtle harmonic variations.

In the weaving of multiple layers towards the final outcome on the canvas, the gesture of the brush and the superposition of coloured layers of varying thickness play the main roles. In the case of my paintings on wood, the very structure of the wood serves as the “basso continuo” of the overall composition.

The Miselerland cycle on paper combines print techniques with interventions of acrylic colours, watercolours, and/or pencil, allowing me to create diverse variations from the same basic scenery.

Chronicle.lu: What specific elements of the Miselerland (Moselle valley) landscape inspire you the most, and how do you convey these elements in your paintings?

Ivana Ceković: One of my all-time themes is water. I have always loved it. Each sea, river, ocean, or lake has its own specific character. The Moselle, as I perceive it, has very positive, joyful and calm vibrations. In terms of landscapes, I am drawn to the peaceful, wavy hills of Miselerland and its beautiful rock formations. I fell in love with this region at first sight. It is a blessing to live here.