The European Cultural Foundation has been very supportive of cultural projects in Europe for 60 years and it aims to help on making a wider, unconfined Europe. It claims that culture has impact on everyone and it has to be something, that has to be concerned by everyone. ECF is practically supporting every new project inspired by democracy and new ideas. This year, it celebrates their 60th year of life and thanks to their director, Princess Laurentien of Deutschland, awards Athens Biennale with the ECF Princess Margriet Award 2015.
ECF’s initiative is the award ECF Princess Margriet, which was awarded for the first time back in 2008 and was named after the ex-president of the foundation, Princess Margriet of Deutschland. The previous prizewinners have been the inspiration for sustainable change in the way in which people see Europe as a cultural state. This years award winners were the Athens Biennale and the Visual Culture Research Center from Kiev, who were selected thanks to their work that deals with public space offering valuable opportunities to develop artistic imagination. The awards ceremony -each winner will be awarded 25.000€- will take place on March 31, 2015 in Brussels.
On the occasion of the announcement of the award, Athens Biennale will host a symposium on December 3, in the Auditorium Av. Zerva National Research Foundation bringing together personalities from the fields of culture from Greece and abroad. Within a synathrisis, a symposium will be held in order to inspire and discuss ways of cooperation in the cultural scene of Athens. The lecturers include Adam Szymczyk, artistic director of documenta 14, and Katherine Watson, Director of the European Cultural Foundation.
* Words by Kristel Liakou
