The Painted Bird

The Painted Bird   a book by Valiz and Marres with beautiful and terrifying impressions of Europe. Based on letters between Gijs Frieling, the participating artists, and curator Valentijn Byvanck, this book provides insight into the ideas and considerations that underlie this collaborative work of art. The many colourful photographs show the work of art in development and in its finished state. In this way, the book forms a paper monument to this special project, expressed by the initiators as the ‘artistic equivalent of a political summit’. More than just a monument, however, The Painted Bird is a passionate plea for Europe as the terrain for a new collective imagination.