Meet Alex Reding, Luxembourg Art Week CEO and Selection Committee Member
He is, without a doubt, one of the most famous and dynamic players in the Grand Duchy’s contemporary art scene. Even if at 50, he is, “the youngest gallery owner in Luxembourg", as he likes to say with more than a hint of humour.
Having graduated in visual arts from the Université Panthéon-Sorbonne before joining the Academy of Fine Arts in Düsseldorf, Alex Reding was initially intended for a career as a painter and a sculptor. He developed his vocation by founding, l'Alimentation Générale in 2001, a gallery that he launched with Tina Gillen, an artist who was almost unknown at the time but who today represents Luxembourg at the 59th Biennale of Contemporary Art in Venice. A man ahead of his time, Alex Reding has shown a keen eye for spotting and supporting talented artists, even to the point of founding the Luxembourg Encouragement for Artists Prize (LEAP) in 2016. All while remaining attentive to the more established artists, such as Stephan Balkenhol, Sylvie Blocher and of course Barthélémy Toguo.
His influence extends far beyond the borders of his home country, where he now runs the Nosbaum Reding Gallery in the historic heart of the Grand-Ducal capital. The Nosbaum Reding Gallery takes part in the main European art fairs and last year in 2021 he opened a new branch in Brussels in trendy Ixelles.
Alex Reding is also the main instigator and organiser of Luxembourg Art Week, acting as a focal point that brings together many national and international players in the world of contemporary art: "As many professionals have noticed, our degree of professionalism has now reached an international level. More than 15,000 visitors came last year in spite of having to pay an admission fee for the first time. The most important thing for me is that gallery owners come back to Luxembourg and continue to trust us. Last year, Luxembourgish gallery owners represented about a quarter of the exhibitors with almost 150 Luxembourg artists. It is promoting them that is foremost", the artist-gallerist reminds us, more committed than ever to his profession.