On Wednesday, 12 new contemporary art installations and performance pieces will form part of a free week-long event held at the V&A in London. The exhibition not only imagines what Europe might look like 2,000 years from now, but it also explores how our present might be viewed from the future.
The installations were commissioned by the Goethe-Institut London with the V&A and shows works from an array of artists and collectives including Common Initiatives, Fru Fru, Kusta Saksi, Enkar Kula and others. The festival includes a range of talks, discussions, live performances and workshops to encourage debate around what Europe and European identity means to people today, following the result of the UK referendum on EU membership in June 2016.
“As major global events continue to unfold, citizens are inevitably questioning what Europe stands for and how they see their place within it, the arts have a unique and important role to play in encouraging debate around the big questions of the day. Collecting Europe is a responsive and thought-provoking project, tackling these issues through the lens of art and design. Visitors encounter exciting and provocative installations that interact with our world-renowned collections and historic spaces, created by artists living both inside and outside Europe. They also have the chance to share their own opinions and ideas about the world we live in, through a series of workshops, forums and open discussion.” – Tim Reeve, Acting Director of the V&A
The 12 selected artists and designers include Rosa Barba, Let Me See It, Italy (based in Germany), Thibaut de Ruyter, A Song for Europe, France (based in Germany), Constant Dullaart, The European Classes, The Netherlands, Fru*Fru, Eurasic Bath, Spain, IC-98 in collaboration with Kustaa Saksi, A World in Waiting, Finland, IF in collaboration with 00, Europa, UK, Jasleen Kaur, Yoorop, Scotland (based in London), Onkar Kular and Common Initiative, 4017 Enacted, UK, Tasha Marks – AVM Curiosities, Alabaster Ruins, UK, Raqs Media Collective, The Return of Tipu’s Tiger, India, Remco Torenbosch, EU, 2017, The Netherlands, Tu Wei-Cheng, Enfolded World: Mysteries of Lost Civilisations, Taiwan
- Collecting Europe opens at the V&A 1 – 7 February 2017, open daily 10am-5.30pm, Friday 10am – 9.30pm
- Free Entry
- For more information visit the V&A website
- This exhibition is a collaboration between the Goethe-Institut London and the V&A in partnership with the British Council
- vam.ac.uk/collectingeurope | #CollectingEurope
