As part of National Diversity Day, which will take place on 12 May, the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Luxinnovation, the public body Inspiring More Sustainability (IMS) and de Widong are launching a campaign to shed light on the diversity that hides behind the walls of the Maison de l’Innovation in Belval, Luxembourg.
Every day we mostly work in large buildings, go to the office by public transport or by car, maybe we see colleagues in the next office or in the hallway. But who are the people working upstairs? Who are these people I see from my window in the opposite building? Where are they from? What are their names?
From 6 to 23 May, forty-seven portraits of employees from 31 different nationalities will be exhibited on the windows of the Maison de l’Innovation in Belval, as well as their first name and nationality.
47 portaits
This initiative is motivated and inspired by the artistic project “Inside Out” by the French artist JR who made visible abandoned and rejected inhabitants of the Parisian suburbs by exposing their portraits in the form of giant posters on the facades of the houses of wealthy. Years later, this project has grown into a global participatory photography project – 360,000 portraits have been taken. The objective of these actions: each participant must be able to share their message and their individual story with the world.
The exhibition of the 47 portraits at the Maison de l’Innovation is our joint contribution to National Diversity Day 2022, coordinated by IMS Luxembourg. With this action, we not only want to make visible what is usually invisible: the people behind the facades, but we also want to show the diversity that hides behind our walls.
At Luxinnovation, 13 different nationalities are represented. Getting to know each other and benefiting from the experience of others is a real enrichment for both professional and private life.
#DiversityAtBelval on social media
#DiversityAtBelval is not only an exhibition: it is also a social media campaign. Employees of LIST, Luxinnovation, IMS and de Widong as well as visitors of the exhibition are invited to take a picture with their favourite shoot and share it on social media, using the hashtag #DiversityAtBelval, in order to show the diversity that contributes to the richness of our culture.