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Entropa: Controversial Czech exhibit sparks debate on EU

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EUXTV
January 13, 2009

For the full brochure (no longer available on the Czech government's website, but it's here on EUX.TV): http://euxtv.files.wordpres... For more Entropa videos: http://youtube.com/view_pla... htt...

For the full brochure (no longer available on the Czech government's website, but it's here on EUX.TV): http://euxtv.files.wordpress.com/2009...

For more Entropa videos:
http://youtube.com/view_play_list?p=8...

http://eux.tv/2009/01/14/czech-eu-pre...
An art exhibit in the lobby of the European Council building in Brussels, sponsored by the Czech Presidency of the European Union, has triggered a heated debate about how EU member states see each other.

The artists who were invited were free to make their own choices, says the Czech EU Presidency.

From the Czech presidency's announcement issued on Jan. 12:

Entropa: Stereotypes are Barriers to be Demolished

Today, the Czech Republic unveiled a modern art installation called 'Entropa' in the atrium of
the Justus Lipsius builiding of the EU Council in Brussels. The installation will remain in its stand-by mode until Thursday 15 January when it will 'start to live' in the full regime. On that occasion a press conference will be held in the Justus Lipsius building in the presence of
Alexandr Vondra, the Deputy Prime Minister for EU Affairs of the Czech Republic, and Milena Vicenová, the Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the European Union, among others.

Entropa is the joint work of 27 artists, each one from a different Member State. Each object depicts one Member State using common stereotypes or prejudices. The Presidency commissioned the artists without any restrictions and they were free to create any object
they liked.

'Sculpture, and art more generally, can speak where words fail. In line with the Czech Presidency motto a 'Europe without Barriers', we gave the 27 artists the same opportunity to express themselves freely, as a proof that in today´s Europe there is no place for censorship,' said Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra. 'In return we got an uncommon,
yet common piece of art. I am confident in Europe´s open mind and capacity to appreciate
such a project.'

'The freedom of art as an extension of the freedom of speech is the core value of
democracy,' said Milena Vicenová, the Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to
the European Union. 'There are many barriers to integration and cooperation in Europe.
Stereotypes are such barriers. When we point out the stereotypes we begin demolishing
them. Making fun of prejudice destroys it most efficiently.'

The Czech Presidencys motto a 'Europe without Barriers' expresses the dedication to
remove remaining obstacles to cooperation between the EU Member States. In particular
obstacles to the free movement of goods, services, persons and capital. The Presidency
notes that other barriers also hamper a fruitful cooperation between the European nations.

The Czech government is renting Entropa until the 30 June 2009. The rental costs amount to
€50,000. Other expenses, such as production costs, were to be borne by the creator, the
Czech artist David Černý, born 15 December 1967 in Prague. His works can be seen in many
locations in Prague and elsewhere. He gained notoriety in 1991 by painting a Soviet tank
that served as a war memorial in central Prague pink. As the Monument to Soviet Tank
Crews was still a national cultural monument at that time, he was briefly arrested. Another
of Černý's conspicuous contributions to Prague is his 'Tower Babies', a series of cast figures
of crawling infants attached to Žižkov Television Tower.

It is a Presidency tradition to install a decoration in the Justus Lipsius building atrium for the
duration of the Presidency.

More on David Černý on www.davidcerny.cz

http://www.eu2009.cz/en/news-and-docu...

Category: News & Politics

Entropa: Controversial Czech exhibit sparks debate on EU

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