The upcoming Luxembourg pavilion at the Venice Biennale has sparked a political debate at home in Luxembourg after lawmakers raised questions about the cost of the project and the nature of the effort to represent the country.
The center of the debate is meldis a project by Luxembourg-born artist Aline Bouvy, who represents Luxembourg at the 61st Biennale. The work, described as feminist and social commentary centered on the personification of feces, drew criticism from members of Luxembourg’s right-wing Alternative Democratic Reform (ADR) party. They say the concept is both provocative and an expensive way to promote the country abroad.
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The criticism was reportedly formally raised in parliament by ADR MP Alexandra Schoos, who questioned whether the museum’s budget of €540,000 was justified “given the current budget situation, social challenges and tax burdens”. paper jam. Scouse also pointed out that this figure is significantly higher than the country’s new cultural observatory’s annual budget of 150,000 euros.
In response, Luxembourg’s Culture Minister Eric Thiel defended the project and its funding. He believed that artistic freedom was a core principle of a democratic society.
“The role of the state is not to filter works in the name of good taste,” Thiel said, adding that art should challenge audiences rather than merely please them. He said the public debate surrounding the project proved it was working.
Thiel later dismissed claims that the budget was too high. According to the ministry, the cost of Luxembourg’s participation in the Biennale has risen steadily in recent years: 418,600 euros for the architecture edition in 2023, 494,100 euros for the arts edition in 2024 and 521,400 euros in 2025. The latest figures reflect rising production, transport and logistics costs that impact major international exhibitions across the board.
According to reports, most of the budget is allocated to actual expenditures. About two-thirds of the cost goes toward production, shipping, installation and travel for the team involved in the project. Organizing the pavilion during the Biennale’s seven-month run accounts for another 8%, while communication accounts for 12%. Artist fees and official opening fees each account for about 7%.
Thiel said Luxembourg’s spending was also broadly in line with other countries participating in the biennale. In 2024, Switzerland will allocate about 550,000 Swiss francs for its pavilion, Germany will allocate about 650,000 euros, Austria will allocate about 660,000 euros, and Italy will allocate about 1.2 million euros.
He also noted Bouvet’s credentials, noting that she has exhibited widely and her work is in several institutional collections.
