Che Casino

The title of this work is to be understood in two senses: it refers, on the one hand, to the function of the building itself and, on the other, to the bright patches of colour attached to its facade – Che casino! (What a mess!). The building is the former works canteen of the company Gebrüder Röchling, which boasted a cellar for 20,000 bottles of wine, a state-of-the-art kitchen, restaurant and function rooms, eight guest rooms and a bowling alley. Kenneth Letsoin, alias Naamlooz, and Krista Burger, alias Heimprofi, have been collaborating as a duo since 2014. For this artwork, they drew inspiration from the urban environment and its architecture, including the windows of Völklingen’s St. Eligius Church. Although each artist designed their own window transparencies, the overall effect is of an abstract, expressionist whole that endows the drab, vacant building with a new radiance and creates an eye-catching sight for the people of Völklingen.

Jeanette Dittmar