What is Europe: a historical constellation, a visionary political project, or rather an economic challenge? Do the borders of Europe depend on its member states, those countries which want to belong to EU, those who develop it together or those, who are committed to its values? Which hopes, expectations or fears are connected with Europe? How does Europe affect people, who are not (yet) involved in the European process?


‘Mission Europe’ is the title of a complex of different activities, which try to mediate and treat the concept called ‘European Identity’. There is no better place to examine this subject of discussion than on its borders or better said in those areas which are currently in the process of ‘becoming- European’. The political, social and economical processes which occur at the expanding ‘eastern margins’ of the EU also influence the terms of integration and exclusion.
The process of “becoming European” becomes officially legible. Political, social and economical processes, changes, breaks and rejections in the South-Eastern European bordering countries identify and differentiate an entity. From an economic point of view the enlargement negotiations formally pave the way, which has long been trampled on and is now becoming a multilane transit-road. 'Mission Europe' tries to envolve a cultural practise and an artistic approach towards these processes also reflecting on missionary concepts.

On June 23rd-24th 2006, a symposium took place in Weimar. There representatives of e.g. Red Cross Bulgaria, European Movement Serbia, Center for Cultural Decontamination Belgrade, Regional Environmental Center Sarajevo, Bundeswehr (Mission ‘Althea’,Sarajevo) and scientific researchers of culture and economy will talk about their work in those countries, which are currently in processes of EU accession. The symposium was open to the public and linking-up for the the referees
and artists.
In September 2006 young artists from France, Poland and Germany went on an intensive research journey into neighbour states of the European Union (Romania,Bulgaria, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia) bringing them into contact with people involved in “European missions” as peacemakers, in humanitarian, ecological, economical projects and cultural organisations .

Both, Symposium and research journey will form the basis for critical, provoking, multimedia art work by the artists of the ‘Weimar Triangle’, which will be shown in an itinerant exhibition in Katowice, Marseille and Weimar in 2007.