The European Pavilion: kick off

In the course of 2021, arts and cultural organisations in various countries of Europe have joined an exciting new initiative – The European Pavilion. Promoting critical thinking and radical imagination, the initiative aims to fuel bold perspectives on Europe and our common future and to bring Europe closer to its communities. What is Europe? Where and what are its borders – mentally, physically, symbolically? How to define a new framework and develop consciousness beyond the national and how to embrace difference? How to build a future Europe that champions inclusive and sustainable perspectives?

The European Pavilion is not a single pavilion, but a collective of many pavilions rooted in local communities, and providing insights into the cultural mosaic that makes up contemporary Europe. Currently, eight European Pavilion programmes and projects address some of the most pressing issues of our time, such as the future of food, the issue of waste in contemporary societies, the state of democracy, or the necessity to listen to the unheard and the marginalised. They offer perspectives from within and from outside of Europe and project a trajectory towards the future.

At the core of The European Pavilion, initiated by the European Cultural Foundation and co-funded with Fondazione CRT, lies the conviction that Europe needs a pavilion – a shelter and a home – where it can be imagined anew. Why is there no European Pavilion on the stages of major cultural events such as the Venice Biennale or World Fairs, whose model favors national perspectives and competitiveness? In contrast, the European Pavilion is a decentralised initiative that houses a multitude of views

on Europe that are addressed critically and creatively. More than a physical structure, the European Pavilion is a cultural movement that fosters trans-local and trans-national collaborations and triggers curiosity, interest, and imagination across borders, sectors, and generations.

The participating organisations are: ARNA (Sweden), Brunnenpassage (Austria), L’Internationale (a confederation of seven European museums), OGR Torino (Italy), State of Concept (Greece), Studio Rizoma (Italy), and ECF 2020 Culture of Solidarity Fund beneficiaries The EUpavilion (Italy/Switzerland) and Studio Wild (The Netherlands).