Luxembourg - Meet Nana

Apparently Nana's history is way longer than our history in Luxembourg, but I came to meet her back in 2019 when she stood proud in the city centre. 

Recently I was in a bit of a shock not to see her in her usual place and found out from Instagram that they moved the statue to the garden of the Vauban Villa, but that will not be her final place. So let's start from the beginning. Nana, by her real name "La Grand Tempérance" is the creation of Niki de Saint Phalle, an artist who had a thing for big, curvaceous, colourful ladies statues. During her lifetime, she died in 2002, she created more than 3000 sculptures, big or small, but always colourful. 

According to the press, Nana came to Luxembourg in 1995 to celebrate Luxembourg as a European Cultural Capital. She was placed on Boulevard Royale near Hamilius. There were different times back then (although to me it seems like yesterday) and people did not appreciate her curvaceous body. Lux Times even said that an Octave Procession had to change its course to avoid the statue or in one year they covered the statue altogether. She was taken down in 2011 in anticipation of the works at the Hamilius area so that is why when we arrived in Luxembourg, at the end of 2012, I had no idea she even existed. 

Nonetheless, in 2019 she came back to Luxembourg and was placed near the Post Office, still in the Hamilius area. 

I found her there last year around Christmas when I took this picture

So when, this year, they moved the weekly market from Knuedler to Hamilius, Instagram was flooded with pictures of Nana surrounded by flowers. During the Summer she looked lovely. As of the pandemic, I had no business being in the city centre on a Wednesday, so I could not take a picture of my own, but when I did come to Luxembourg, she was moved again.

She is now in the garden of Villa Vauban and Ville de Luxembourg says it will stay there until 2023 when the works of the old Post Office will be over. It was there where I found her on a rainy day, she is visible from the street, although she has the back to the street and the face towards the villa. 

So that's it, boys and girls, she is Nana, a 6 metres tall colourful sculpture, made by the artist Niki de Saint Phalle, bought by the Luxembourg City in 1995. As usual you can find me on Instagram @mademoiselle.ralu