Vernacular-Spectacular residencies

Vernacular-Spectacular, the second theme of the 2024 Bridderhaus residencies, explores the particularities of Esch-sur-Alzette and its architecture. From its spectacular industrial heritage and its large-scale redevelopment projects to the fragments of architectural vernacular that remain as traces of a recent past, what are the urban characteristics and atmospheres specific to the city? As it is undergoing massive transformation, what are its distinctive features, and how can contemporary artists respond to them? Vernacular-Spectacular is a series of three artist residencies exploring the sounds and sights of everyday life in Esch, and asking how urban environments can inspire art.

Vernacular-Spectacular considers the vernacular not as a backward-looking practice, but rather as a visual and aural vocabulary of traces that chart the ongoing transformation of the city. Between the awe-inspiring genius loci of wastelands such as the former Metzeschmelz steel plant and the functional urbanism of working-class housing estates, the city is made up of a whole range of architectural elements and urban features that will form the point of departure of the artists’ research and work.