An advocate for contemporary art

Florence Reckinger-Taddeï grew up in Arles in France and went to live in Luxembourg for love, where she has pursued a career in law. Simultaneously, she initiated and supported many charitable and cultural projects in her adopted country as well as back in her birthplace, linked to her passion for the arts. Today, she dedicates her time entirely to supporting the arts, organising exhibitions and the publication of art related books. In 2019, she founded the Regala project and gallery in Arles, hosting artist residencies and an exhibition space, as well as a publication. The first book “A la merci du soleil” was about embroiderer Pascal Monteil. Florence is President of les Amis des Musées du Luxembourg, and founder and President of Lët’z Arles and the Luxembourg Photography Award. She is an administrator for the Musée d’Art Contemporain du Luxembourg (Mudam), for the Edward Steichen Award Luxembourg, for Les Rencontres d’Arles and for the Ecole nationale supérieure de la photographie (ENSP). She is a member of the board of directors of the Luxembourg Red Cross, and has helped to introduce them to many craftspeople she has met on her travels, as well as organising a charity auction at the annual Red Cross Ball which she chaired for 20 years.

As someone who is a hundred percent Mediterranean by birth and through my ancestry, my aesthetic education is steeped in the multiple cultures and craftsmanship of the southern regions. The architecture of the houses, the objects, materials and traditions of expertise will always be at the heart of my life. They form a nest, where I want to raise my family and spend time among friends.

I've been able to express my love of craftsmanship through my cultural and charitable activity, by bringing numerous objects back from my travels, connecting talented people, and by introducing my entourage to the work of craftspeople. My husband shares this passion. Together, we built a family home in Luxembourg, guided by the talented Lionel Jadot who introduced us to some wonderful artisans.

I work with craftspeople constantly, to enhance interiors or to develop larger projects, both in Arles and Luxembourg. My gallery in Arles, Galerie Regala, organises artist residencies and has presented works by Christian Lacroix, including his first ceramics. Over the years I have collaborated with several artists and craftspeople such as Pascal Monteil, who embroiders hemp cloth from the early 1800s with scenes inspired by literature, history and art. The ceramicist Bela Silva, the engraver Astrid de la Forest, Paul de Flers, Victoire and Hervé di Rosa, Maxime Biou, Marlon Wobst, Kholod Hawash, Sara Ouhaddou are also master artisans and artists I have worked closely with. My Cahiers Regala publication is designed to showcase the wonderful works of these artists.

Excellence immediately makes one think of a person who has an exceptional command of a particular skill. I prefer the idea of balance – the perfect balance between a carefully honed gesture, an understanding of the chosen material, and the emotion that the artist, the artisan, communicates to the person who views their work.