A thought-provoking photograph of chairs and dinner plates tied to trees became the winner of a contemporary art competition which is back after a two-year delay due to the pandemic.

More than 750 pieces of art by artists from Luxembourg and the greater region were submitted for the Biennale of Contemporary Art, exhibited in Strassen just outside the Luxembourg capital. It was the largest number of submissions since the competition’s inception 11 years ago.

The jury awarded the first prize to German artist Thomas Brenner for his staged photography. Of his three works, the most striking is undoubtedly the one with wooden chairs, painted red, and tied to trees with heavy ropes. Dinner plates have been randomly stuck on the trees, and at the centre stands a wooden table with a rope noose. The photo begs the question to what extent consumerism is destroying nature.

Polish architect Zuza Jakubiak’s graphite drawings focus on London’s Kew Gardens. Her attention to detail combines the unusual Victorian architecture of the gardens’ famous greenhouses, with intricate depictions of the hothouse plants.

Jakubiak was awarded the special jury prize, and many of her works see a return to realism and figurative painting and drawing – a far cry from the more abstract artworks on display when this art biennale started in 2001.

Chinese-Luxembourgish artist Yue Zhang has a humorous piece, which combines traditional Chinese techniques of ink and pencil with modern motifs of cherry blossoms with dinosaurs hidden between the petals.

But the most striking pieces are by Strassen-born artist Jeff Dieschburg. At just 24 years old, his work is original, combining classical European art styles with a more modern vibe. 

The most compelling sculpture is at the entrance - an untitled piece from Rafael Springer which almost seems to be moving.

There is not once piece of artwork that is not eye-catching, including the technically remarkable Delft Koi painting by Marie-France Philipps, or the almost fabric-like seascape with jellyfish, which is in fact an acrylic on canvas triptych by Florence Haessler.

Others are unusual, such as the Tine Krumhorn images of nature made three dimensional using cardboard, or the pieces that combine the photography of Gerry Oth and the embroidery of Reiny Rizzi-Gruhlke.

And then there are the thought-provoking pieces, not only by the winner, but Fränk Muno’s three photographs showing a woman covered in plastic wrapping inside a rotting and decaying old mansion, or Raymond Majchrzak’s disturbing group portraits.

A total of 70 artworks are being exhibited at the Biennale of Contemporary Art at the Cultural Centre Paul Barblé in Strassen daily until 8 June from 14.00 to 20.00.

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