The Artists’ Parliament
The Artists’ Parliament is a public space exhibition project to mark the rotating presidencies of the Council of the European Union, launched by the Brussels Commissioner for Europe and International Organisations and the European Parliament. The chosen European contemporary artists will represent their country with an exhibition on the Esplanade Solidarność in front of the European Parliament, following the calendar of the rotating presidencies.
The first exhibition started on 10 January 2024 to mark the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, for which artists Ann Veronica Janssens and Michel François were chosen to present a specific project. Internationally renowned artists, they both represented Belgium at the Venice Biennale in 1999. Ann Veronica Janssens and Michel François exhibit their work all over the world and have pieces in the collections of the most prestigious institutions.
After Belgium, the next country to be represented will be Hungary from July to December 2024, followed by Poland from January to June 2025 and Denmark from July to December 2025. Each country taking over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union is invited to support the artistic project selected to represent it.
Schedule
Following a call for tenders, a curatorial team made of independent curator Joël Benzakin and Jeanne Mouffe was appointed to curate the exhibition for the years 2024 and 2025.
The curator’s choice of artists is based on the quality of the proposed works and whether or not these can be installed in a public space, namely the Esplanade Solidarność in front of the European Parliament. What’s more, the chosen artists must not only be well-known in their country but also, if possible, have an international reputation.
Selection process
As both an open-air space which Parliament can use for communication purposes and an access route to the European district and its institutions, Parliament’s Esplanade provides a physical link between the city, its inhabitants and the EU.
For a number of years, Parliament has been gradually developing the Brussels Visitors' Campus. Parliament has expanded and improved the visitor facilities to meet the various needs and demands in order to make the site more attractive.
Setting aside part of the Esplanade for long-term art exhibitions is in line with this ambition. This is why the Office of the Commissioner for Europe and International Organisations and the European Parliament wish to showcase the artists and rich cultural heritage of the countries holding the rotating Council presidency through a bi-annual exhibition on the Esplanade.
The Esplanade Solidarnosc
The Artists’ Parliament is an initiative of the Brussels Commissioner for Europe and International Organisations for the Brussels Capital Region in partnership with the European Parliament.
with the support of :
