The diverse face of Europe: defining artworks since the fall of the Iron Curtain

An exhibition celebrating European diversity by showcasing the works of 90 artists from 35 countries is set to open in Moscow, Berlin, and Paris.

Exploring the themes of democracy and its challenges, fears for the future, solidarity and separation, and the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, Diversity United. Contemporary European Art. Moscow. Berlin. Paris includes groundbreaking art made since the fall of the Iron Curtain, as well as more recent works by Olafur Eliasson, Mona Hatoum, Slavs and Tatars, Pia Fries, Alicja Kwade, Manuel Graf, Tristan Schulze and Sheila Hicks, amongst others.

One striking work from Estonian artist Katja Novitskova is the Pattern of Activation (C. Elegans) sculpture. It grapples with the complex network of biodiversity, globalization and environmental policy, via a fungi species which has led to the decline of amphibian population over the past half century. In the light of Covid-19, the work is a reminder that “infectious organisms ignore national borders and political propaganda.”

“The message behind the exhibition – that we are better for being united – is as important as ever,” said Walter Smerling, chairman of the Foundation for Art and Culture in Bonn, which is one of the main organisers of the event, alongside with the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. “This perception remains crucial: Europe is a project. Artists play a significant role in this project because, through their individual approaches, they reflect the situation and development of European societies, both historically and in the present.”

The show will take place at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow 15 November 2020 - 21 February 2021, and will later travel to Berlin and Paris. Find out more here.