Luxembourg - Meet The Tall Banker

I was talking to my friend after a meeting in Kirchberg when I've spotted him just like that, the Tall Banker. Of course I've stopped and took pictures, but who is this banker and why does he have a statue in Kirchberg?

If you are not familiar to Luxembourg, Kirchberg is the European district, a place with more office spaces than housing, at least on the main street. When I've worked in Kirchberg, I had colleagues telling me that in the 80's that was an agricultural field with just one big tower and they used to say "let's meet at The tower" now there are at least ten towers in Kirchberg and during the week it's very crowded with office people, bankers or not.

So that is maybe why they chose to place the Tall Banker here. 

The Tall Banker is about eight metres in height, but its creators, the German artists Inges Idee, have given him a normal person's waist. He is supposed to define a "successful corporate culture, where progress, profit, optimisation and vision are key". 

To me, he looks exactly like "An Alien in New York" in Sting's song, someone so refined that it almost doesn't fit in a new environment and is considered an outsider, an alien, a stranger. You have to know a bit of the story behind the alien, but safe to say, to me he looks like an stereotypical, romantic and old version of what a banker, a corporate person should look like. In a suit, with an umbrella and a financial newspaper under his arm.

His shoes size is 96 compared to mine's, 38.

To me Kirchberg is a district left to be discovered to its full potential. There was an art tour at some point, but I could not find anything about it online. There are a lot of sculptures in Kirchberg, a few very close to the Tall Banker, I wrote in 2018 about the Knotted Gun which is in a park, also in Kirchberg. The area is crowded during the week, but come the weekend it is quiet and is worth a visit. 

I hope you found something useful reading this article here, today. If you want a chat I am on Instagram @mademoiselle_ralu

Source:

The Tall Banker

An old article of my friend about other sculptures in Kirchberg

The Knotted Gun

Luxembourg - Art is everywhere

The eyes. I was sitting on the "terrace" of Oberweis inside Robert Schuman Hospital in Kirchberg trying to eat a croissant. I was 30 minutes early to a meeting with my endocrinologist and I thought I'd spent it there scrolling my Instagram. With the corner of my eye I spotted something blue. It was a painting and it's presence in a hospital intrigued me. So I've finished my meal and went to investigate. Turns out the painting was one of two, they are both in the main entrance hall of the hospital, they are called "Merci", they were painted by a nurse which works there and they were paying a tribute to the hospital staff engaged in the fight against Covid-19. 

From there I went down the rabbit hole of the internet and found the website of the artist who is Belgian, born in 1977, studied painting in Arlon and lives in Habbay - Arlon. Her name is Gilliane Warzée so please do try to remember it as I think you will definitely hear about her soon. 

I don't normally get excited about contemporary art unless it tells me something, it makes me turn, spend the time to observe it. The pandemic times have been an inspiration for many artists, but to me the two paintings have a deeper meaning, being made by an artist, but also by someone who's been fighting this thing in the first lines. Where does she find the time to even be creative?

The two paintings are in the same style as others on her website, but to me the one looking at us front and personal, asking us why? has created an emotion. Maybe I've discovered it (them) in a time when the pandemic is almost over in Luxembourg, but is hitting harder than ever my home country, maybe I was a bit vulnerable going to see a doctor, even though she is very nice and I don't have a major endocrinological condition to worry about, I don't know what my subconscious was reacting to, maybe it is as simple as them being blue, but they moved me and isn't art supposed to do that?

So without getting even deeper into the melancholic state, if you ever are at Robert Schuman Hospital, first I hope you are well and just for a routine check-up, and second, please spent a few seconds in front on any of the two paintings. It will do you good. 

To put a face to the paintings I've borrowed a picture of the artist from the mighty Internet, I will credit her for it, but in the meantime if I will find another source you will see it here. 

Art is everywhere and can be made anytime!

With my two cents about the topic, I will remind you that I am more active on Instagram @mademoiselle.ralu and sign out! 

Sources:

Paperjam Luxembourg

Rtbf.be

Le Quotidien 

RTL Today