Truly a total work of art

The artist is punctual to the minute. As she has her studio in Berlin and also lives there, we had agreed in advance to have the conversation either in a café or in the Journal 's premises – if we couldn't think of anything better by then. At the last minute, so to speak, we spontaneously decide to take the tram to the National Library on Kirchberg, where an exhibition by the Luxembourg artist is currently on show until the end of November.

As it is Monday morning and the National Library is normally closed to visitors at this time, Catherine Lorent takes the precaution of asking the communications department whether we can still visit her exhibition. No problem: we are allowed to, and we have the library, which is a real gem as we know, all to ourselves until shortly before 2.00 pm. An amazing feeling.

In the place where there is usually only whispering, namely in the large reading room, and where her paintings hang, the artist, who conveniently has her laptop and portable loudspeaker with her, even plays us videos of her rather ingenious music duo Hannelore this morning, after she has already guided us through her exhibition (Insignia). Around two dozen pictures (ink, watercolour and gouache on paper), conceived as coats of arms, as well as, behind glass in the entrance area, three red, white and blue Leviathans with striking sexual organs (glazed ceramics). The pictures are evidence of great technical skill, although Catherine Lorent is not only a visual artist, but also a musician and performance artist.

We particularly like a picture in which the legendary Striptease Club Saumur can be seen in the centre of the coat of arms together with the former Rond-Point Gluck (Gluck roundabout) – yes, the memories ..