Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Project Europa considers the relationship of art to democracy in Europe. The works featured in the exhibition, which include large-scale wall paintings, photography and video by artists from Turkey to the British Isles, explore the complex and subtle relationship between art and politics.

“This grant allows the Harn Museum to showcase the innovative work of three French artists who explore the promise, conflicts and contradictions, of Europe’s democratic dream,” said Kerry Oliver-Smith, curator of contemporary art. “Focusing on issues such as globalization and transnational identity, their work makes a great contribution to the exhibition. This reflection on Europe also provides an avenue to re-examine and reinvigorate our understanding of democracy in the United States.”

Funding from the grant will be used to support the shipping, insurance, installation and catalogue costs for works by French artists Bruno Serralongue, Yto Barrada and Kader Attia. Additionally, the funds will assist in supporting the honorarium and travel expenses for Catherine David, the keynote speaker for the symposium that is to be held in conjunction with the exhibition April 9-10, 2010.

The exhibition is organized by the Harn Museum of Art and made possible by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts; the C. Frederick and Aase B. Thompson Foundation; Étant donnés, the French-American Fund for Contemporary Art, a program of the French American Cultural Exchange; the Harn Eminent Scholar Chair in Art History; the Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere; the Center for European Studies; and the France Florida Research Institute; with additional support from the Sidney Knight Endowment and the Harn Program Endowment.

For more information call 352-392-9826 or visit www.harn.ufl.edu.

Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art
The Harn Museum of Art at SW 34th St. and Hull Rd. is one of the largest university art museums in the country with nearly 7,000 works in its collection focusing on African, Asian, modern and contemporary art and photography. The museum enhances the activities of the University of Florida and serves a culturally diverse audience through educational programming. Admission is free. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Parking is free on weekends. The Camellia Court Café is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information call 352-392-9826 or visit www.harn.ufl.edu.

Media contact:
Tami Wroath, Director of Marketing and Public Relations
Harn Museum of Art
352.392.9826 x116
twroath@harn.ufl.edu