Description of the attraction
In March 1996, in the city of Luxembourg opened its doors to the public, the center of contemporary art - Casino Luxembourg. The art center received such an unusual name by no means by chance, because it was in this ancient building, built back in 1882 by the architects Pierre and Paul Funk, that once housed the famous Casino Bourgeois.
It should be noted that the Casino Bourgeois from the very beginning was not exclusively a gambling establishment. There was also a reading room, a luxurious restaurant and several rooms where balls, concerts, conferences, art exhibitions and other cultural events were held. It was here that one of the greatest pianists of the 19th century, the world famous composer Franz Liszt, gave his last piano concerto in July 1886.
During the Second World War, when Luxembourg was occupied by the Germans, the General Staff was located in the building of the Casino Bourgeois, and since 1959 the building has been rented by the Cultural Circle of the European Communities. In 1995, the city authorities of Luxembourg decided to establish a center for contemporary art in the old Casino Bourgeois. The large-scale reconstruction of the building was carried out in the shortest possible time, and by the beginning of 1996 the work had been completed.
In addition to various exhibitions, where visitors to the center can get acquainted with the latest trends in contemporary art in all its diversity, Casino Bourgeois regularly hosts thematic lectures and seminars, as well as entertaining educational programs for schoolchildren. The Casino also has an excellent library known as the "Infolab". In the library's reading room, about 7,000 art history publications (since 1960), 50 portfolios of Luxembourgish artists are available to the public, as well as an impressive selection of international periodicals on contemporary art and culture.
