Espace Thillebierg
The Space - you are here
When people come here, they always ask three questions: 1) who are those two men with the moustaches; 2) who thought of hanging their portraits in this abandoned factory; and 3) what is this bench doing here? So here are the answers. The two handsome gentlemen are Henri and Jean-Paul. They got married in Differdange and are the first homosexual couple in Luxembourg. The idea to hang their portraits is… ours. We are Mrs&Mr. García, two artists based in Madrid with a project called “Bright People Art”: we go around the world intervening places to share our portraits of people who shine (inside and out). And the bench is there for you to kiss.
Although we could also say that this factory has been waiting for decades for you to come and visit, just as Henri and Jean-Paul had to wait to be allowed to get married. We, ourselves, have taken a lifetime to get here with our art. The important thing is that, one way or another, you are here, together, with a bit of intimacy.
Enjoy
The “Tillebierg” played a role in the steel industry of Differdange and is today one of those places where the adolescents meet for a chat with like-minded and maybe a shy first kiss. A place on the periphery of Differdange and on the edge of the forest overlooking the town, located at a popular Sunday afternoon dog walking path.
The winning Idea
“Kissing Bench” features two huge portraits of characters defined by the community of Differdange placed on the corner of the Tillebierg building. Dynamic outdoor portraits swaying in the wind and sparkling in the sun, supplemented with a “kissing bench” to sit and wait for the magic.
The Artists
“MRS&MR GARCIA” are art designers from Barcelona and Bilbao based in Madrid. They look for new ways to create narratives as an implicit part of visual objects.
