Following the success of A Portrait of Europe, artist Dirk de Vries was asked to create a Still Life painting from each of the EU countries. In contrast to the portraits which showed that we cannot be distinguished and identified by our nationality but rather are related by our common humanity, these works emphasise some of the elements for which each nation state is well known.
Once completed the collection was exhibited as a fringe event at the Folkestone Triennial of 2017 and at Europe House in Smith Square Westminster. The EU Referendum changed this collection and the collection of European portraits from ones celebrating our shared European heritage to an historical record of the happy years when the UK was within the EU from 1973 to 2020.
The IMOS Foundation has worked on a number of initiatives involving the countries of Europe. The Romney Marsh is well placed geographically to offer a welcoming face to visitors from the continent. This is particularly relevant now that we have formally left our membership of the European Union.
