The feminist world of Mia Kinsch

It's a hot and humid day, and the idea of retreating into the cool rooms of a castle makes us glow. "No, unfortunately it's not that cold inside, " our anticipation of cooling down is curbed. "But it's much, much better than out here, " adds Mia. We are met by the young artist at the castle entrance. "Come on, let's go inside." Only a fraction of the 12th century Larochette Castle could be preserved and restored, yet this part and the view alone of the Larochette community from the top steps of the Criechinger House is worth a visit. "I was sure I wanted to go to Brussels, but I didn't know what exactly I was going to study, " Mia recalls on her way towards Criechinger Haus, where a total of 26 exhibitors are presenting their works as part of the Open ART vernissage organised by the Matzweeféiss Um Buedem association. Among them is 28-year-old Mia Kinsch.

From Luxembourg to Brussels and back

After a six-month excursion into the world of business students ("I realised that the studies involve a lot of numbers and arithmetic – things I'm not very good at"), Mia knows she needs to seriously consider what she wants to do with her future. "I wanted to do something creative but didn't dare to take the step of studying art … because I hadn't done an art section and so had no experience. I had never learnt to paint 'properly'." She says she has always been passionate about art, but never thought of career opportunities in this field. She starts with what she calls a "neutral" career option – graphic design. She passes the entrance exam, and although she fails the first year due to a lack of technical knowledge, Mia doesn't let it slow her down – until after six months of starting her Masters in Graphic Storytelling, a worldwide pandemic takes its course.