Acte de présence

Restitution of the artist residency

VENUE: Casino Display, 1, rue de la Loge, Luxembourg

Being present is a social duty. In its most common sense, it means fulfilling an expectation. To be there out of duty, out of propriety, so as not to fail in some form of implicit obligation. But this gesture has other meanings. To act is also to act in the legal sense: to make something official, valid, legitimate. Presence then becomes a recorded fact - in the form of a contract. For Sam Krack, this dimension is embodied in concrete elements: a contract for the hire of a modem, for example, records the presence of the object in the home of the collector or borrower. 

The word ‘act’ also conjures up the register of theatre: being an actor. Sam Krack acts out the presence of things, spaces and structures. Using a range of artistic practices, he explores, opens up and brings to light what is often invisible: partitions, walls, hidden volumes, plasterboard. Added to this is work on the multiplicity of senses: there is the physical, material presence, but also the social presence. There are the invisible and forgotten presences of the past, the archives, the melancholy sensations associated with places once occupied by the family. Sam acts out the presence of the past by returning to the fold. 

Since March 2025, the artist in residence has been living in the building where he grew up, exploring different avenues of work. He has chosen to conclude this period with a residency project in the form of an exhibition, to share the issues and reflections developed during his stay. 

Photo: Sam Krack