Since 1969, Europalia has organised some twenty-two festivals. Each has turned the spotlight on one culture in a comprehensive programme of music, fine arts, photography, cinema, theatre, dance and literature. From October to February, the festival fills numerous locations in Brussels, other Belgian cities and in neighbouring countries. The festival offers guest countries a unique opportunity to present their cultural heritage and contemporary arts in an optimal format. In this way, Europalia hopes to promote better understanding between nations and stimulate cultural exchange between peoples. Europalia contributes to the cultural dimension of European construction by promoting Europe’s diverse cultures and encouraging their dialogue with the world’s great cultures.
The 2017-2018 edition focuses on Indonesia. How can a culture as complex and diverse as Indonesia’s be represented in only four months without resorting to clichés? In collaboration with Indonesian and European artists, curators and experts, EUROPALIA meets this challenge to reveal Indonesia in its most unexpected and contrasted forms. While Java and Bali naturally feature, so do more remote regions like Papua and the Moluccas. From ancient ancestor statues to contemporary video installations, from gamelan music to Papuan experimental dance… discover an Indonesia that is rich in traditions but also firmly rooted in the present.
