PRACTICAL INFORMATION Gerrie Soetaert (exhibitions) PRESS INFO Press & Communication
[email protected] +32(0)475 47 98 69 Iris Maas (music)
[email protected] Nica Broucke (performing arts, cinema, literature)
[email protected] Images can be downloaded in high resolution : IMAGES https://we.tl/t-xESn7Xhrte IMPORTANT: for the Brancusi exhibition, please include the following obligatory copyright information: • Name of artist, title of the work • © Sabam Belgium (2019) • Name of distributor The photos are free of rights if used for press articles. SOCIAL MEDIA instagram.com/europalia www.facebook.com/europalia twitter.com/europalia www.pinterest.com/europalia www.youtube.com/user/europaliafestival NEWSLETTER Stay up-to-date: www.europalia.eu 2 INTRODUCTION 50 years of EUROPALIA In 1969, the first EUROPALIA festival, dedicated to Italy, opened its doors. The festival aimed to generate a greater un- derstanding of other countries through art and culture. The need for this had grown in the context of the European Eco- nomic Community, where countries started working together and their citizens living together. An introduction to each other’s culture could stimulate genuine interest and thereby strengthen dialogue and cohesion. No fewer than 26 festivals have taken place over the years, with top editions such as Europalia Spain (1985) and Europalia Austria (1987). In 1989, Europalia Japan marked the moment when the festival started to look beyond Europe. Several non-European countries have subsequently been invited, including Russia (2005) and India (2013). But a lot has changed since then. Today, it would be unthinkable for the festival to like it did 50 or even 20 years ago.