CeCiL's Screenings proposed by Julie Wagener

Location.: Cercle Cité, Auditorium Henri Beck (Entrée : 2, rue Genistre)

CeCiL’s Box celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2025!

Since 2015, Cercle Cité has been supporting local creation and has showcased the work of thirty-four young and emerging artists from the Greater Region in one of its windows on Rue du Curé, visible 24/7.

To mark this anniversary, the Cercle Cité is giving five of these artists carte blanche for a cycle of artist film screenings throughout the year. These screenings, which explore their current research or serve as a source of inspiration for their practice, will be followed by a dialogue with the artists, joined by specialists in their field or enthusiasts of their art.

During this second screening, we will be showing the film Self-Portrait as a Coffee Pot by William Kentridge, proposed by Julie Wagener.

William Kentridge, a South African artist, is known for his distinctive style and multi-faceted body of work, which fuses drawing, animation, theater, sculpture, and performance art. His works are deeply embedded in social, political, and historical themes, often reflecting the complexities of South African identity, the apartheid era, and broader global issues. His exploration of time, memory, and transformation, along-side his use of metaphor and allegory, allows his work to resonate deeply with issues of human experience and collective consciousness.

Kentridge’s Self-Portrait as a Coffee Pot is a playful yet profound reflection on identity, art-making, and the process of continual transformation. During this screening the public will dive into the first episode of the mini-series, which explores subjects like identity as fluid and shifting concept, the sometimes chaotic and arbitrary process of creation and the absurdity it holds, as well as the reflection on the artist’s role in society and the complexities of the human experience in general.

When it comes to technique and form, Julie Wagener’s work, notably the installation she created for the Cecil’s Box in 2020, does not draw a lot of parallels to Kentridges work per se. For Wagener the inspiration stems more from a conceptual point of view. Both artistic practices share several key themes and methodologies, particularly in the way both artists use visual storytelling to explore identity, mental health, and societal issues. Their use of figurative imagery, dual practices, and layered meanings demonstrates a commitment to addressing complex themes through versatile artistic vocabularies. Both artists engage with the world around them, inviting viewers to reconsider the connection between individual experience and broader cultural, political, and social contexts.

The screening will be followed by a discussion in Luxembourgish. Artist Nora Wagner, who was originally scheduled to take part, will be exceptionally replaced by artist Aurélie d’Incau.

Free entry, registration required on cerclecite.lu