Awards ceremony for the Fondation Leir Jury Prize and the RTL Public Prize

The "De Mains De Maîtres" 2023 Biennial officially closed on December 5th at the Chambre des Métiers with the awards ceremony of the Fondation Leir Jury Prize and the RTL Public Prize, in the presence of TRH the Hereditary Grand Duke and the Hereditary Grand Duchess and the new Minister for Culture, Mr Eric Thill.

As luck would have it, for the first time the Jury Prize and the Public Prize were awarded to the same person: Joey Adam.

From 23 to 26 November 2023, "The Gesture and the Territory", the fourth edition of the "De Mains De Maîtres" Arts and Crafts Biennial, showcased the excellent skills of Luxembourg's craftsmen and artists. For 4 days, 10,000 visitors were able to discover an original and ephemeral collection of more than 300 works at 19Liberté and in a dozen other venues on the "Parcours hors les murs".

For the first time, a single foreign country was invited as guest of honor: Portugal. This new format, prepared in close collaboration with the DG-Artes and the Centre Culturel Portugais-Camoes in Luxembourg, provided an opportunity to discover some forty artists from this country, which is both distant from the Grand Duchy and close to it in terms of its community (17% of the Luxembourg population).

At the suggestion of the Biennial 2023 selection committee, the Fondation Leir Jury Prize was awarded by HRH the Hereditary Grand Duchess to costume designer Joey Adam. Through this prize, the charitable foundation intends to mark its renewed support for De Mains De Maîtres Luxembourg, which, by celebrating Luxembourg craftsmanship, perfectly embodies the spirit and know-how that inspired Henry J. and Erna D. Leir during their lifetime.

This year's jury was made up of the following 7 members: HRH Prince Guillaume, Mr Roland Kuhn (President of the association), Ms Beryl Koltz (Head of Brand Promotion, LMIH), Ms Valérie Quilez (International Director, Kultur lx), Ms Adilia Martins De Carvalho, Director of the Centre Culturel Portugais-Camoes, Mr Guy Thewes (Director of the Two Museums of the City of Luxembourg) and Mr Jean-Marc Dimanche (General Commissioner, De Mains De Maîtres Luxembourg).

The Public Prize was awarded by Mrs Patricia Baum, RTL Culture Journalist, to Joey Adam, costume designer. The winner was selected by the public, who had the opportunity to vote for the artist of their choice during the Biennial on rtl.lu. Joey Adam won 15% of the votes.

Joey Adam, born 'Joëlle' in 1972 in Pétange, is a highly versatile artist who loves experimenting with different materials. A graduate in Graphic Arts from the Lycée Technique des Arts et Métiers, she continued her studies in Florence, Italy, specialising in historical and film costumes, as well as stage sets and theatre props. Inspired by Mélusine, the Grand-Palais in Paris and the roses in Luxembourg, she created these corsets. The creation of these works requires a grounding in sewing, sculpture and painting. They are made from a variety of resins, thermoplastics and 'flexible' wood. The body is cut from thermoplastic based on an original pattern. Many of the ornaments are moulded, but most are handmade or modified with various specialised modelling pastes. Assembly and all painting details are done by hand. The process involves many stages, from preparation of the material, cutting, making the decorative elements, assembly and a multitude of different patinas and delicate coats of paint.