Markus Miessen

East Coast Europe Markus Miessen

"East Coast Europe," which took place during Spring 2008, is a project about the perceptions of contemporary European identity and its relation to spatial practices and international politics.

The title "East Coast Europe" is a word play. "Europe" in the title is the central topic for investigation, its contemporary culture, expansion, and its status as a continuing social project. "East Coast" refers to two distinct edges of Europe, both real and imaginary--the geographical East Coast of the United States of America and the political "East Coast" of the European Union. The project invited leading figures in culture and politics from the two east coasts--of the United States of America, and of the countries in the European Union and its vicinity to comment on their perception of Europe today. East Coast Europe dives into the urgent details of a dense network of contemporary experience of the European Union's extensive exchange of knowledge, people, and goods with the East Coast of the United States and also with its own eastern border. What are its challenges and possibilities for social, political and spatial practices?

East Coast Europe was commissioned and produced by the Consulate General of Republic of Slovenia in New York City, during Slovenia's Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2008, with support of the EUNIC Network New York and Delegation of the European Commission, New York. The ECE project is conceived by Katherine Carl, Srdjan Jovanovic Weiss, Markus Miessen, and Alenka Suhadolnik.

ContributorsCan Altay, Marina Abramovic, Paddy Ashdown, Zdenka Badovinac, Katherine Carl, Eda Cufer, Reinier de Graaf, Mladen Dolar, Lisa Farjam, Srdjan Jovanovic Weiss, Carin Kuoni, Zak Kyes, Jacques Le Goff, Aaron Levy, Genevieve Maitland Hudson with Cyril Blanc, Markus Miessen, Viktor Misiano, Miran Mohar, Shamim Momin, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Orchard, Dan Perjovschi, Marjetica Potrc, Nebojsa Seric Shoba, Michael Shamiyeh, Erzen Shkololli, Taryn Simon, Nedko Solakov, Alenka Suhadolnik, Milica Tomic, Kazys Varnelis, Felix Vogel, Borut Vogelnik, Jordan Wolfson, and Sislej Xhafa.

Co-published with Zalozba ZRC, Ljubljana