Project Europa: Imagining the (Im)Possible
The past two decades in European history have been marked by the fall of the Berlin Wall and the unification of Europe—monumental events seen by many as symbolically heralding a new social and democratic vision. Project Europa: Imagining the (Im)Possible brings together 19 artists whose work, created in the aftermath of these historic events, considers the relationship of art to democracy and responds in various ways to the conflicts and contradictions of Europe's democratic dream.
Organized by the Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida, Project Europa addresses the complex positioning of Europe in the modern world. While the continent embodies the notions of democracy, human rights, peace and diversity, it also reverberates with xenophobia, racism, religious intolerance, and—especially after the fall of the World Trade Center towers—heightened security and the hardening of immigration policies. Project Europa's artists are catalysts for new ways of seeing, thinking about and imagining Europe.
SELECTED WORKS
Image Carousel with 22 slides
A carousel is a rotating set of images. Use the previous and next buttons to change the displayed slide
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Slide 1: Superflex: Jakob Fenger, Bjørnstjerne Reuter Christiansen, and Rasmus Nielsen, Burning Car, 2008. Blu-ray projection.
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Slide 2: Francis Alÿs, The Nightwatch, 2004. Video documentation of an action, National Portrait Gallery, London.
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Slide 3: Francis Alÿs, The Nightwatch, 2004. Video documentation of an action, National Portrait Gallery, London.
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Slide 4: Kader Attia, Untitled, 2010. Wall painting.
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Slide 5: Maja Bajevic, Double Bubble, 2001. DVD projection.
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Slide 6: Yto Barrada, Ceuta Border, Bab Sebta. A Life Full of Holes: The Strait Project, 1999. C-print.
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Slide 7: Yto Barrada, Advertisement Lightbox, Tangier. A Life Full of Holes: The Strait Project, 2003. C-print.
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Slide 8: Tacita Dean, Palast, 2004. Six color photogravure.
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Slide 9: Beate Gütschow, S #1 (M), 2004. Lightjet print mounted on aluminum Dibond.
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Slide 10: Jens Haaning, Radovan, 2000. Lightjet print on photographic paper.
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Slide 11: Jens Haaning, Aurangzeab, 2000. Lightjet print on photographic paper.
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Slide 12: Eva Lietolf, Schöna, Sächsische Schweiz. German Images - Looking for Evidence, 2006. Color photograph.
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Slide 13: Eva Lietolf, Althaldensleben ("Olln"). German Images - Looking for Evidence, 2006. Color photograph.
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Slide 14: Aernout Mik, Raw Footage, 2006. Two screen video and sound installation.
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Slide 15: Marcel Odenbach, No one is where they intended to go, 1989-90. Video installation, DVD player, monitor, glasses, pedestal.
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Slide 16: Marjetica Potrč, The Future is Now, 2003. Installation, wall drawing.
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Slide 17: Marjetica Potrč, The Future is Now, 2003. Installation, wall drawing.
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Slide 18: Andrea Robbins and Max Becher, BUT: American in France, Strip Malls of Toulouse, 2003. Chromogenic print.
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Slide 19: Bruno Serralongue, Passer en Angleterre. Accès terminal transmanche, Calais, juillet 2007, 2007. Ilfochrome mounted on aluminum with plexiglass box.
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Slide 20: Fikret Atay, Tinica, 2004. Video projection.
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Slide 21: Fikret Atay, Tinica, 2004. Video projection.
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Slide 22: Lidwien Van de Ven, London, 04/09/2004 (International Hijab Solidarity Day), 2007. Inkjet print on photo rag paper mounted on Dibond.
Columbia/Barnard art history professor Alexander Alberro emphasizes the timeliness and relevance of this exhibition for U.S. audiences. "The fall of the Berlin Wall, the attacks of 9/11, and the world's recent economic collapse bring the challenges and mutual destiny of Europe and the United States closer than ever," said Alberro. "With the current cultural, political and economic crises, it is all the more urgent to question the recent past, to examine our global impact, and to envision more clearly our commitment to a democratic society."
The artists included in the exhibition are Francis Alÿs, Fikret Atay, Kader Attia, Maja Bajević, Yto Barrada, Tacita Dean, Beate Gütschow, Jens Haaning, Susan Hefuna, Eva Leitolf, Aernout Mik, Marcel Odenbach, Dan Perjovschi, Marjetica Potrč, Andrea Robbins and Max Becher, Bruno Serralongue, Superflex and Lidwien Van de Ven.
Exhibition curator, Kerry Oliver-Smith, notes that "the artists in the exhibition come from a rich variety of perspectives and cultural positions." The works selected use a variety of strategies and media—sculpture, painting, performance, photography, and film—to integrate the viewer in the creation of the aesthetic experience. Especially exciting are the residencies of artists Kader Attia and Dan Perjovschi, who have been commissioned to re-create large-scale paintings applied directly to the walls of the gallery.
Project Europa is accompanied by a scholarly catalogue published by the University of Florida and written by Kerry Oliver-Smith with contributions by Marius Babias, curator, art historian and Director of the Neuer Berliner Kunstverein; and Boris Groys, professor of aesthetics, art history and media theory at the Center for Art and Media Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.