2012 European Forum of History and Arts

Project background >>

Funded by the European Union program for lifelong learning (LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAM) and by the National Agency for EU Higher Education Cooperation by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service, the second “European Forum of History and Arts” took take place from April 9th until April 20th 2012 in Liège, Belgium. The topic under investigation was “Melting Pot – Migrations in the Walloon Region”.

On March 23rd, 2012, a Symposium took place where specialists on the topic of migrations in the Walloon region presented their findings to the teachers of the artistic workshops in order for them to be fully prepared to instruct the students.

Participating teachers and students came from 9 countries and 10 European and non-European artistic and scientific institutions. They approached the theme both trans- and interdisciplinary with artistic, historical and scientific instruments in symposia and historical as well as artistic workshops.

Why Liège? >>

The École Supérieure des Arts de la Ville de Liège in Belgium was the host of the IP. Liége, the city that is often referred to as the “Latin City of the North”, and the Walloon Region mark the starting point for the theme of migration. The city and the region have experienced several migration flows: migration for bread, migrant workers (especially mineworkers) as well as political and economic fugitives. This way the local culture overlaps with the immigrant culture that was brought along from Southern and Eastern Europe as well as from North and Central Africa. The cultural blending of this region is very much a reality and has a long tradition that entails tensions as well as enrichments.

Liége is one of the original centers of the coal and steel industry in continental Europe.

As early as 1720 the first steam-engine on European mainland was put into service in a coal mine near Liége. From here, the industrialization spread across the entire continent. The effect of this was a flood of uncontrolled immigration from Flanders, Italy and North Africa, which is still reflected in the city’s population structure today. Most notably, the headquarters of the steel-producing enterprise Cockerill-Sambres are located near Liége.

At the same time as the migration flows took place, art experienced, as elsewhere, an awakening of the artistic disciplines towards more interdisciplinarity throughout the 20th century. The blending of cultures through migration, the globalization of information and the development of interdisciplinary, artistic practices shape the history and art of our time.

The Forum in Liège dealt with these historic, social, cultural and artistic aspects.

Method and approach >>

The project was focusing on the topic: “Melting Pot – Migration in the Walloon Region“. The scientific and artistic examination of the influences of past and present migration was put forward. Special attention was paid to the influences on the current situation of the city of Liège and the Walloon region.

Project work  >>

Participating teachers and students came together from 10 nations and 14 Non-European as well as European artistic and scientific universities. They approach the above mentioned topic on a trans- and interdisciplinary level through artistic and historic-humanistic methods in symposia, artistic and historic workshops.

Symposia  >>

The presentation of historical contents conducted by professors of history, sociology, art history and law during a one-day symposium in Liege on March 23rd, 2012, to which all supervising teachers of the artistic workshops were invited.

Artistic workshops  >>

“MIXED WE ARE, MIXED WE WILL BE” was the motto of the artistic workshops. It refers to the trans-European and historic-political questions of migration, especially to those of the Saar-Lor-Lux-Region. The attention were steered to migration and to the emergence of cultures and sub-cultures in the respective nations.

Exhibition in Liège  >>

As a conclusion to the project work in Liege an exhibition at the Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Liège took place on April 18th, 2012, to which the press (print & radio) were also invited to.

Multilingual publication  >>

The multilingual publication documents the working process in words and images, as well as the results attained. The documentation of the individual projects during the phase of the project work in Liege provided the base for this. The contents of these were artistic and scientific nature.

Touring exhibition and sustainability  >>

A touring exhibition in the form of a multimedia production traveled through the cities of Europe: Trier, Metz, Saarbrücken, Liege and Luxembourg (further locations include: Kreisau, Krakow, Opole and Danzig). The exhibition aimed at illustrating the topic and the project work that linked with it to the public through a multimedia presentation.

People involved >>