An exhibition for a meeting that was meant to be: Art and the Belgian Presidency
This Wednesday, December 8th, the Presidency organised an art exhibition, a "finishing" for the upcoming and last European summit under Belgian colours. On this occasion, the Council raised the curtain on its backstage embellished with the works of painters, photographers, and designers...
Without a doubt, they draw a prestigious portrait of our national artistic heritage: Wim Delvoye, Michel François, Berlinde De Bruyckere, Philip Aguirre y Otegui, Fabrice Samyn, Michiel Hendryckx, Stephan Vanfleteren, Annemie Verbeke and Sandrina Fasoli. The Mukhua, the Flemish Community, the Flemish Parliament and the Messen Leclercq Gallery also presented some of their works.
When art and the Presidency meet to talk
This is a beautiful combination to close out this Presidency with added spirit: a dialogue, a virtually self-evident exchange between art and Europe! This exhibition closed out the homage paid by the Belgian Presidency to its artists. During its six months, the Belgian Presidency has put national artistic talent on display. A great number of renowned works have been exhibited in various strategic locations such as the Cabinet of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Cabinet of the Minister for Development Cooperation, the Cabinet of the Secretary of State for European Affairs, the Belgian Permanent Representation in the EU, the Belgian Delegation area in the Juste Lipse building and the VIP areas of the Brussels’ Airport.
The European Constitution in a few verses…
The most magical and significant moment of this event was, without a doubt, the reading of a selection of poems from Spain, Hungary and Belgium. Manza and Peter Vermersh, artists who are both deeply involved in the Brussels Poets’ Collective, read this ode to European construction particularly well: “Order emerges again and again from the magma of chaos… No chaos, no evolution”. These words take on their full meaning in a context that portrays Europe, its past, its present and its future.
Particular homage was paid to the values and essence of the Presidency Trio thanks to the partnership with the Brussels Poets’ Collective, the Hungarian Cultural Centre and the Instituto Cervantes. This exhibition was a beautiful way to bring down the curtain on the Belgian Presidency which, after succeeding Spain on 1 July 2010 will pass the flame to Hungary beginning on 1 January 2011.
