“ At a time when the European Union – that unique peaceful construction in the history of mankind – is called upon to welcome refugees fleeing poverty, barbarism and war, while it is in the midst of an identity crisis itself, some one hundred small drawings will be shown to outline a dozen major designs that are shaking the old continent. ”
Nicolas Vadot
Curator of the exhibition and and Vice-president of Cartooning for Peace
In response to crisis that Europe is facing today, editorial cartoons are powerful tools to open debates and promote tolerance. Through humor, irony or emotion, 52 editorial cartoonists from 27 different countries will share their drawn opinions on Europe in a major exhibition at Mons Memorial Museum. For four months, the audience will be invited to reflect on their own views of Europe and European identity crisis.
The exhibition “This is not Europe!” is divided is ten thematic chapters: right-wing extremism, migrant crisis, economic crisis’s consequences, rise of populism, etc.
The opening of “This is not Europe!”, co-produced with the Mons Memorial Museum, took place in Mons on February, Saturday 20, in the presence
of Harlem Désir, Secretary of State for European Affairs, Elio di Rupo, Burgomaster of Mons, and cartoonists Joep Bertrams (The Netherlands), Cristina Sampaio (Portugal), Mikhail Zlatkovsky (Russia), Plantu (France), Cécile Bertrand, Vadot, Kroll and Marec (Belgium).
The curator of the exhibition is Cartooning for Peace’s Vice president Nicolas Vadot. “This is not Europe!” will be displayed at the Mons Memorial Museum from 21 February to 26 June 2016.
The catalogue of the exhibition, with Jean Quatremer and Daniel Cohn Bendit texts, is available at the Mons Memorial Museum.
