Esch2022: Minett design on TICE buses by Alain Welter

In the context of the European Capital of Culture Esch2022, ten buses in a special Minett design have been on the road in the south of Luxembourg since 2022.

"Den TICE rullt fir Esch2022". Already since 2021, there is a partnership between the European Capital of Culture Esch2022 and the Syndicat T.I.C.E for the mobility segment. On behalf of the two collaborating partners, mural artist and illustrator Alain Welter has developed a special bus design with motifs from the Minett, which can now be seen on ten buses of the inter-municipal transport association TICE.

For TICE and Esch2022, Luxembourg native Alain Welter was the right partner for this collaboration from the very beginning. Already in 2020 and as part of his "Cooling Towers" project commissioned by the city of Differdange together with Arcelor Mittal, who is one of the "Main Partners" of Esch2022, he made an illustrative declaration of love to the Minett. Therefore, he seemed to be predestined for this mission.

“When creating the design, I naturally referred to the Minett region. Characters that I used to spray-paint on oversized walls can now be seen in digitally drawn form on the streets of the south,” says Alain Welter, mural artist and illustrator. “When designing the TICE buses, I used elements from the cooling towers in Differdange to create connecting components. It's my biggest digital project to date."

The stylistic elements on the TICE buses are a mixture of characters that appear repeatedly in the mural artist's work as well as sayings from the South, iconic figures like Johnny Chicago, terraced houses and other architectural elements that are characteristic for the Esch2022 region. The color basis is the color of the Minett, red, in combination with modified tones of the Esch2022 color palette and the Luxembourg flag.

The artist's design was then produced and applied onto the buses with the help of the company Langehegermann. The family business in Ehlerange (municipality of Sanem) was founded in 1960 by Nico Langehegermann and has been run by his son Tom Langehegermann since 2006. Besides TICE, their customers also include another supporting partner of Esch2022, Bofferding.

Desire for Esch2022 and sustainable mobility

"As a syndicate in the south of Luxembourg that is over 100 years old, we are naturally keen to support such a forward-looking project with a lasting impact on the region as the European Capital of Culture Esch2022 is. Becoming a partner was self-evident for us, and this cooperation with Alain Welter makes us and our employees proud,” says Pierre Mellina, President of the Syndicat T.I.C.E.

Since this year, six articulated buses (18m) and four standard buses (12m), each biogas-powered, with motifs and typical phrases from the Minett, have been on the road in the ProSud municipalities. They should make both locals and guests interested in Esch2022 and motivate them to proudly use the free local public transport service.

“We want to inspire and sensitize visitors and residents of the region to local public transport. This unique project with TICE and Alain Welter certainly contributes to the bus being perceived as a sustainable means of transport," says Thierry Kruchten, Head of Tourism, Mobility and Sustainable Development at Esch2022.

(Local) partnerships are important for Esch2022

Esch2022 has been able to win a total of three "Main Partners" and seven "Supporting Partners". The Syndicat T.I.C.E was one of the first "Supporting Partners".

“Right from the start, Esch2022 placed great value on forming partnerships, and it was always important to us to also have strong local partners on board. The Syndicat T.I.C.E is of course part of it, especially, since they connect the entire south of Luxembourg, just as the European Capital of Culture project. The employees of the regionally well-known association are also the ideal ambassadors for Esch2022," says Anne-Catherine Richard, Head of Partnerships at Esch2022.