Mudam Luxembourg Examines 1980s Through 'Video Killed the Radio Star'

Mudam Luxembourg – Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean has launched an exhibition titled 'Video Killed the Radio Star', which delves into the complexities of the 1980s. This showcase highlights the contradictions of the era, where the vibrant facade of pop culture coexisted with significant global political upheavals. It illustrates how new technologies intertwined with established ideologies, as seen in the simultaneous emergence of MTV and the Chernobyl disaster, both filtered through a shared media perspective. The exhibition reflects on a time when imagery surpassed audio, access took precedence over ownership, and aesthetics began to wield influence in novel ways. It situates the 1980s within the context of the Cold War's conclusion and the ascent of neoliberalism under Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, signaling a major cultural shift in the West.