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Poster of exhibition on walls

When Walls Talk!

Posters – promotion, propaganda and protest
30 April 2022 - 13 November 2022

The illustrated poster was born in Europe in the late 19th century, reflecting an increasingly commercialised world with conflicting political ideologies. Posters are ephemeral, produced for a specific moment, yet many elements are recycled and resonate in cultural memory today. From the propaganda of the World Wars and the Cold War to the explosion of cultural exchange, tourism and the emergence of multi-voiced social movements after the Second World War, complex layers of European division and unity are revealed through a selection of posters from the collection of the House of European History. They reflect the development and transformation of the public sphere in European cities.

Public opening - 30 April 2022 - Join us at the museum for a rich programme of activities: a drawing performance by artist, writer and cartoonist Dan Perjovschi, a creative workshop where visitors can design their own poster on a topic they feel is important for Europe, and guided tours in the galleries of the temporary exhibition!

Participation in a workshop: ‘Walls talk... and you, what do you have to say?’ will initiate primary schools into the milestones of European History. The question whether or not you can trust the image on a poster will also be addressed, equipping students with keys to analyse images from the past. Students from secondary schools will have the possibility to learn about European History via posters presenting human rights, migration, European election, conflict, and also cultural and sport events. Students will be asked to time travel to create their own posters on a topic that they identify as important for the public sphere and present the outcome of their discussion to the other students in the group. (EN/FR/NL)

Learning offer