Variations [antikvár]

A COLLECTION REFLECTING EUROPE'S CULTURAL PLURALISM PBEFACE BY CATHERINE LALUMIERE SECBETAIir CmEMl OF THE COONCIL OF EUROPE i he CouncO of Europe houses in its various buildings a collection of works of art, a selection of which is presented in this book. Gifts from the member states, their . . regions or local authorities, and in some cases from non-member states, they symbolise their donors' attachment to the oldest of Europe's political organisations — the one which sets man at the centre of its conception of society, defends human rights, offers a multicultural approach to European identity and acknowledges that creative artists have a cracial pan to play in shaping attitudes and behaviour and in social progress. The collection was initiated in 1975 by a number of member states who wished to contribute to the equipping and interior decoration of the Palais de I'Europe, the Council of Europe's new headquarters then under constnjction. They intended thereby to give tangible expression, through works of art, to their support for what the Council of Europe symbolises and stands for, A Giits Committee was set up to manage the scheme. Among the gifts were busts of distinguished figures who had played a leading role in the process of European unification and construction. Future generations may see in them tlie commitment and determination of Europe's founding fathers to build a united Europe where war would never The collection is quite diverse, composed of ancient and contemporary pieces, works of art, items of decorative or technical interest which proclaim the cultural variety of European society. The collection's unity lies in its origins and its diversity, reflecting Europe's cultural identity. These works display the cultural and artistic vitality, the creative spirit of the peoples of Europe. Three categories of works appear in the collection; archaeological items like the archaic-style amphora from the 8th or 7th century BC—a real museum piece—or the exact replica of the Delphi charioteer; decorative and technological objects, tapestries being prominent here ; and modem and contemporary works of art. The numerous tapestries are especially revealing and show the evolution of an art fomi unjustly neglected today, with Ihrks to daily life In the past. Two fine examples woven on Flemish looms in die 17th century share space on the walls with others from the Aubusson workshops — diose by Lurçat, who breathed fresh life into the art of tapestry in our own age, and the one based on a Léger design illustrating Paul Eluard's poem -liberty". Fritz Riedl uses a traditional technique In new ways in -Fortified Gate-, and hirther Innovations are visible in Nanna Hertoft's -Indigo, variation of form, and Patrick Scott's -Ray of sunshine on a wave-. The decorative arts represented call to mind traditional skills whose continued practice is one priority of tlie intergovernmental programme of co-operation. The stained-glass window entitled -Wall of Light- by François Chapuis In the meditation room, the -azulejos-reproducing a section of the wall in the Agostlnhos Monastery in Torres Vedras, the -Peace in the Worid. panel by Sadi Diren, or the ceramic panels In the restauram corridor depicting die history of Europe are reminders of all that European culture and art owe to these crafts and to those who plied them through the centuries. Alvaro Valazza's planlsplieric clock, showing the three time zones of the Council of Europe's member states, and the model caravels by Manuel Carrelhas, reminding us of the speed with which art and navigation in our contlnem evolved in the Age of Discovery, are technological contributions to the collection. Contemporary art - painting and sculpture - constitutes the core of the collection, with two wodd-fanious names : Antoni Taples and Henry Moore, Sculptures outnumber paintings, and—a mark of the period during which the collection was formed—it contains more abstract than figurative works. Of the half-a-dozen or so paintings, the one by Tapies, an artist well known for his commitment to human rights, is among his last works on