Youth artists from 14 European countries gather in the heart of Brussels to create a new public artwork that calls on people to vote in the 2024 European Elections
As of 14 February 2024, a new public artwork can be seen in the surroundings of the Brussels Gare du Midi train station. Collectively created by artists aged 18-30 from Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden, this large-scale mural is a compelling call to passersby: vote in the 2024 European Elections.
Led by Artivist Network and Barcelona-based artist Oriana Eliçabe, the team developed their eye-catching artwork, consisting of four large-scale, digitally retouched photographic images of the young artists themselves combined with the intermingling of yellow stars and ballot boxes pasted against the facade of Brussels’ busiest train station. The final result, located at Boulevard de l’Europe at the Brussels Midi train station will be on view to the public until the end of June.
“The EU and its political processes can seem distant to youth across Europe. But these decisions affect our lives deeply. We want the youth to understand that politics isn’t something far-away like the stars, rather it’s something you can hold and change.” – Melike Futtu, Artivist Network
The action was part of Culture Action Europe’s latest project, Pop the Vote! Culture on The Ballot, which works with young artists and cultural workers to not only get citizens to the voting booths in the upcoming European Parliamentary elections (6-9 June 2024), but also to centre artistic expression, culture, and artivism at the core of community and democratic engagement. This week the Changemakers have been in Belgium for an immersive training on methods, ideas, and theories to engage their communities through arts-informed public actions of their own design leading up to the elections in June.
“Young artists are already heeding the call to action around crucial issues that impact themselves and their communities. What we hope to do with Pop the Vote! is hold space and provide a platform for them to further develop their experience in public debate and democratic participation. This project is an incredible opportunity to collaborate with creators who deeply believe that arts and culture are central to our personal and political lives in Europe.” – Maya Weisinger, Culture Action Europe
More about the public artwork and the work of the Changemakers can be followed on the Pop the Vote Instagram page.
For media queries contact:
Maya Weisinger, Head of Communications, Culture Action Europe
maya@cultureactioneurope.org
Mobile: +32 471 87 50 63
