Ancient Greeks believed that their chief god Zeus fell in love with Phoenician princess Europe. Zeus sent a dream to the princess where two women were fighting because of her. One of them was called East and the other West. Europe got to know that if East won, she would stay in her homeland, if West won she would have to leave to the West.
Zeus learned pretty soon that Europe would not want to leave home. So Zeus decided to abduct Europe. The God turned himself into a white ox and went to get her.
The white ox was so very nice that the princess just jumped onto its back. But this was no fun ride. The ox rushed into the sea and swam through the waves to the island of Crete. Zeus stayed there together with the princess, to give her his babies. Thereafter all the countries which were located to the west from Crete have been called Europe…
The rape of Europe as a romantic adventure has been mirrored in the artworks of Tizian, Jacob Jordaens, Gillis Coignet, Rembrandt van den Rien, Paul Rubens, Jean Francois de Troy, Felix Vallotton and of the Estonian classics, Ado Vabbe and Jüri Arrak.
The visions of the present day are created by
Capten, Alexia Marouli, Michalis Manousakis (Greece)
Rafal Olbinski (Poland)
Kalev Mark Kostabi (USA)
Marina Shkarupa, Anatoli Varvarov, Oleg Hartšenko (Ukraine)
Olga Tobreluts (Hungary)
Meda Norbutaite, Algis Skačkauskas, Mykolas ja Šarūnas Sauka (Lithuania)
Peter Diem (The Netherlands)
Martin Garcia Rivera (Puerto Rico)
Erika Tammpere, Mare Mikkoff, Enn Tegova, Erki Kannus, Lilian Mosolainen, Merike Tamm, Vilen Künnapuu, Sander Raudsepp, Anna-Liisa Kilk, Anu Kaur, Kaia Rähn, Erik Teemägi, Jaak Kadarik, Lemme Haldre, Ly Kaalma, Maret Suurmets-Kuura, Marita Liivak, Peep Pedmanson, Santa Zukker, Sergei Fridman, Takinada, Tarvi Laamann, Tiia Külv, Tuuli Vahesaar, Bach Babach (Estonia).
Let’s look at the exposition and think of the fate and future of Europe together!
Mark Soosaar
Curator of the exhibition
Supporters: the Town of Pärnu, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Ministery of Culture, Embassy of the Polish Republic, Embassy of Greece, Hotel Victoria, Jaanihanso.
The exhibition was born in cooperation with the Art Museum of Estonia, Art Museum of Tartu, the Museum of Applied Art and Design of Estonia and with Estonian National Museum.
