painted bird : dreams and nightmares of Europe

Europe, are we dancing on a volcano again? Are renewed nationalism, xenophobia, the distrust of politics and democracy, the arrival of refugees, and economic insecurity preparing us for a terrible meltdown? It is well possible. It should give us hope for this project, since the best art is produced on the verge of despair, when civilizations crumble and we’re about to shift into a new world order.

This book chronicles the creation of The Painted Bird, a colossal, collaborative mural painting in Marres, House for Contemporary Culture in Maastricht, (NL). Made by 19 artists, the painting covers the entire interior of the monumental Marres villa, with beautiful and frightening impressions of Europe, including a high tech supermarket, the last remnant of a natural forest, a virtual detention room and a new life festival in the year 2050.