Luxembourg’s 10 Best Contemporary Art Galleries and Museums

A contemporary art gallery in a location like no other, Am Tunnel is situated inside a tunnel originally built to connect four of the city’s banks. Visitors are greeted upon arrival at the reception desk before descending four floors below street level to begin exploring the expanse of exhibitions hidden underground. Am Tunnel displays works from world-famous artists including Luc Peire and Bernd Schuler; as well as the temporary exhibitions, the gallery also dedicates a part of the tunnel to a permanent exhibit of Edward Steichen’s photography. The themed exhibitions and retrospectives are free for visitors to explore as they enjoy the unique, tucked away setting of the gallery.

Mudam, short for The Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art, was built on the site of the old Fort Thungen right in the heart of Luxembourg City. Designed by Pulitzer Prize winner, I.M. Pei, the gallery cost $100 million to construct and was dedicated to its namesake Grand Duke Jean upon opening in 2006. The gallery hosts a permanent exhibition of contemporary artworks by over 100 artists including the likes of Andy Warhol, Thomas Struth and Daniel Buren. Having attracted record numbers of visitors to a Luxembourg gallery in its opening year, Mudam has continued to be a popular destination for art lovers in the country. A grand selection of artwork is displayed across the gallery’s three floors and even those that aren’t too interested in modern art will enjoy the beauty of the building itself.

A private gallery dedicated to providing a stage for young, talented European artists, Artium has hosted more than 300 exhibitions since it first opened its doors to the public in 1978. The owners of the gallery go in search of new talent at art fairs, studios and academies around Europe and have so far worked with artists from 16 different countries. The art on show tends to be innovative and conceptual but Artium is always open to other genres and cross-genre experimentation. To see sculptures, multiples, photographs and digital art created by artists at the very beginning of their careers, this is the gallery to go to in Luxembourg.

A lesser-known gallery but one that’s equally worth a visit nonetheless, Galerie d’Art Maggy Stein specializes in hosting temporary thematic exhibitions. Expect to see an eclectic array of incredible sculptures, installations, paintings, graphic art and fine art as you wander around the gallery. One of its most popular exhibitions in the past would be the display of much-loved fine art specialist Rom Lammar. Locally born, Lammar is known throughout the Luxembourg art circle for his exquisite mixed media abstractions and expressionist acrylic paintings

A contemporary art gallery renowned for its collection of works by regionally acclaimed artists, the Covart Gallery has exhibited works from names such as Jean Ampe, Christian Bozon and Bénédicte Dubart. Situated in the heart of the capital city, art lovers looking to discover some brilliant etchings, photos, paintings or sculptures will be more than satisfied by the displays at the Covart Gallery. In addition to representing well-known artists, the gallery also acts as a platform for emerging artists and has quickly become a meeting place for artists and art admirers. The gallery accepts visitors only by appointment.

The most popular exhibition in the history of photography, Edward Steichen’s The Family Man has returned to its birth country and is displayed permanently at the Castle Clervaux for all to enjoy. Having been curated in 1955 for display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the exhibit quickly became the largest of all time. A mass of 503 photos taken by 273 artists from 68 countries, Steichen wanted to create a portrait of human life – the good and the bad – in images and he certainly succeeded. After the exhibition closed in New York the collection of photos toured the world for many years, but Luxembourg’s population can once again call them their own

A collection of over two million photos taken between 1855 and the present day can be found at Luxembourg’s Photothèque. Many of the photographs there have either been donated or bequeathed to the photo library and the entire collection is available to the public, with copies and prints of the images available for sale. Some of the works that can be viewed in the library include those of dentist and photographer Batty Fischer, chemist Camille Aschman and Tony Krier, a local photojournalist. The Photothèque is always looking to expand its collection, so get in touch with them if you have any images that you think would fit the theme of displaying the city at different periods throughout its urbanization.

Open to the public by appointment only, Leslie’s Art Gallery allows visitors to explore a wealth of artworks created by some of the most talented emerging artists in the world. There are no permanent exhibitions to see here – only temporary ones, as the gallery has, as its mission, the constant search for new talent, which can only be found through a dynamically changing roster of artists. Recent exhibitions at the gallery have included photos by Anne Michaux and digital art inspired by themes such as the Les Paul Guitar, Picasso and Mondrian.

A great place for learning more about the Luxembourg art scene and local artists, the Casino Luxembourg acts as a forum for contemporary art. The neo-baroque building was adapted and renovated in 1995 to become the brilliant art space it is today. As well as a series of temporary exhibitions, Casino also has an affluent artist-in-residency program, with previous residents including Beatrice Balcou, Stijn Ank and Maria Anwander. Once the artist has completed her project over an eight-week period, her works are exhibited in the gallery for a further two months. The gallery’s InfoLab, moreover, is both a library and reading room and has a huge array of art magazines, monographs, theoretical works and artist portfolios, making it a true gem for art students.

An art gallery, working studio, photo studio and interior design showroom all in one, the Beaumont Public Art Gallery attracts numerous and diverse visitors. Displaying contemporary art to the public since 1984, the Beaumont tends to focus on works dealing with gender issues, identity and performance. Alongside the exhibitions, there is also a great program of lectures, film screenings and performances taking place in the gallery space on a regular basis. After your visit to the gallery, make sure you drop by the Koenigbloc, a bookshop dedicated to selling new and antique books.