Diversity United: Contemporary European Art – 90 artists, 34 countries, 1 continent in dialogue

While the world is fully consumed by the fight against the pandemic, central themes and concerns of Diversity United—freedom and globalization, the corrosion of democracy, (fear of) the future, solidarity and divisiveness—are more urgent than ever before.

“Diversity United” assembles works from established and emerging artists, representing different generations, genders and regions. The exhibition makes the case for a European dialogue, focusing on themes such as freedom and democracy, migration and territory as well political and personal identity. Especially now, at a time of global helplessness and an increasing loss of voice in politics, art demands social interaction.

Diversity United presents an artistic tour d`horizon of current Europe. The works of nearly 90 artists from 34 countries reflect the phenomenal diversity and vitality of the contemporary art scene of Europe and beyond—from Portugal to Russia, from Norway to Turkey.

The exhibition looks at Europe as a whole and presents artists who themselves transcend borders in their endeavors and work on an international level, such as Annette Messager, Mona Hatoum, Alicja Kwade, Olafur Eliasson, Wolfgang Tillmans, Slavs and Tatars, and many more. Christian Boltanski: “When you are an artist, you belong to everybody and you belong to all countries. Thus, my country is art and all the other artists are part of my family.”

This transnational group exhibition was realized by the Stiftung für Kunst und Kultur in Bonn. Walter Smerling, chairman of the foundation and initiator of the project: “The exhibition can be understood as a commentary on our present time and asks questions about the desired and the real state of freedom, dignity and respect. It has the power to surprise us with visionary, poetic works and illustrates the creative facets of Europe in all their incredible diversity.”

Andreas Görgen, Head of the Department of Culture at the German Foreign Office: “Europe is based upon diversity. Democracy is based upon diversity. When we are able to create an idea of the beauty inherent in diversity, then we can recognize what we have in common.”

The exhibition will be accompanied by a catalog, published by Wienand (German/English).

Artists: Eija-Liisa Ahtila, Andreas Angelidakis, Michael Armitage, Yael Bartana, Georg Baselitz, Bluesoup, Christian Boltanski, Monica Bonvicini, Sonia Boyce, Pavel Brăila, Maurizio Cattelan, Olga Chernysheva, Tacita Dean, Rineke Dijkstra, Aleksandra Domanović, Constant Dullaart, Olafur Eliasson, Kristaps Epners, Valérie Favre, Pia Fries, Adrian Ghenie, Gilbert & George, Antony Gormley, Manuel Graf, Ane Graff, Petrit Halilaj, Mona Hatoum, Sheila Hicks, Sanja Iveković, Isaac Julien, Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, Patricia Kaersenhout, Šejla Kamerić, Anselm Kiefer, Kapwani Kiwanga, Peter Kogler, Irina Korina, Eva Koťátková, Alicja Kwade, Kris Lemsalu, Cristina Lucas, Goshka Macuga, Kris Martin, Dóra Maurer, Annette Messager, Marzia Migliora, Boris Mikhailov, Richard Mosse, Ekaterina Muromtseva, Henrike Naumann, Mariele Neudecker, Katja Novitskova, Ahmet Öğüt, Roman Ondak, Lucy & Jorge Orta, Dan Perjovschi , Grayson Perry, Anders Petersen, Agnieszka Polska, Tal R, Paula Rego, Gerhard Richter, Ugo Rondinone, Adam Saks, Anri Sala, Fernando Sánchez Castillo, Tristan Schulze, Yinka Shonibare CBE, Katharina Sieverding, Slavs and Tatars, Nedko Solakov, Jan Svenungsson, Wolfgang Tillmans, Rosemarie Trockel, Tatiana Trouvé, Luc Tuymans, Martina Vacheva, Ulla von Brandenburg, Marko Vuokola, Rachel Whiteread, Per Wizén, Erwin Wurm, Cerith Wyn Evans, Nil Yalter, Yan Pei-Ming

Curators: Walter Smerling, Chairman, Stiftung für Kunst und Kultur, Bonn; Simon Baker, Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Paris; Faina Balakhovskaya, Moscow; Kay Heymer, Stiftung Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, Germany; Pontus Kyander, Helsinki; Camille Morineau, AWARE, Paris; Johanna Neuschäffer & Anne Schwanz (Office Impart), Berlin; Hilke Wagner, Albertinum, Dresden, Germany; Peter Weibel, ZKM Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany

www.diversity-united.com

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