The best of Luxembourg’s craftsmanship is currently gathered at 19Liberté, Spuerkeess’s headquarters. Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie visited the 4th Biennale “De Mains de Maîtres”, an artisan fair that this year also welcomes Portuguese craftsmen.
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The fourth edition of the “De Mains de Maîtres” Biennale, inaugurated by Guillaume and Stéphanie de Luxembourg.
On 22 November 2023, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, Duke of Luxembourg, 42 years old, and his wife, Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie, 39 years old, attended the opening of the “De Mains de Maîtres” Biennale, at the Spuerkeess headquarters. The theme of the Biennale, which entered its fourth edition this year, is “Gesture and Land.” The exhibition is open to the public from November 23 to 29, 2023.
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“The Prince and Princess were amazed by the work of talented craftsmen in Luxembourg and Portugal.”, Maison du Grand Duc explains. This year, 77 Luxembourg craftsmen were selected in addition to 43 Portuguese craftsmen. Portugal is the guest country for this edition. The day before the opening, Guillaume and Stephanie also attended a concert by Portuguese artist Ana Lua Caiano at the Philharmonic Orchestra, organized by the Portuguese Embassy in Luxembourg on the sidelines of the Biennale.
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Portuguese craftsmen were invited to the Luxembourg Crafts Biennale
The theme “Gesture and Territory” was chosen by the exhibition’s curator Jean-Marc Dimanche, “Invites us to celebrate artisanal and intellectual creativity, while asking creators and craftsmen questions about the concept of artistic identity and cultural heritage, closely linked to the history of the Grand Duchy.”, Explanation of the organizers From the biennale. “How is ancestral knowledge transmitted? How does this knowledge develop thanks to the arrival and contribution of craftsmen from other horizons? To what extent can cultural porosity, over time, influence and reshape the style of local crafts?”
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During the opening, the couple was accompanied by Portuguese Foreign Minister Isabel Cordero and members of the Luxembourg government. The Biennale, which was founded in 2016 by the heir couple, “It aims to support artistic crafts in its broad sense and give young people the taste to embark on this path.” Promoting these manual professions reminds us of the importance of transmitting infection. Most of these techniques have persisted over time thanks to being learned from generation to generation. Today, the trades also face questions of our time, such as the evolution of these professions in the context of the energy transition and concern for sustainability.
