What Is Europe? Where is Europe? Who is European?

When the editors started to think of a theme for this issue of GUP, around January 2020, they could not have imagined to present it in its current context. Europe in the late Spring of 2020 would recover from the Brexit. EURO2020 was still on the agenda, and this football tournament was going to be organised in 12 European cities, from June 12 until July 12.

But more urgent matters are now at stake: The European Union has closed its external frontiers while many internal borders between member-states have also been shut down, as healthcare is still mainly a national concern. While struggling with the Covid-19 virus, each country has to come up with its own exit strategy.

Europe is fragile in its unity, but it is also more than merely a residence for its millions of citizens. It is a concept too, an ideal. As Europeans, we’re not only challenged with anxiety and fear for an unknown and invisible threat, we’re also finding our individual selves in a belief system of solidarity and are urged to make it a more sustainable virtue.

GUP is also part of the art world, expected to show strength and to be resilient. In this freelance culture, all our creativity is now needed to stay afloat. This year will mark our 15th anniversary but we’re not ready to retire. In line with the EU ambitions, we’re planning to make our visions even more widely (audio)visible – as a membership club – and hope you’re with us in this ongoing adventure, as we continue to be your guide to unique photography.

GUP#65 includes works of: Rob Hornstra (NL) / Josef Schulz (GER) / Valerio Vincenzo (IT) / Eva Stenram (SWE) / Beat Schlatter’s postcard collection (CH) / Michal Chelbin (UKR) / Valery Poshtarov (BUL) / Valeria Cherchi (IT) /  Elena Helfrecht (DE) / Lucia Sekerkova (RO) / Viktor Naumovski (MK) + a highlight of the Deutsche Borse Foundation Prize and the usual guide to upcoming events and recently published books.

What Is Europe? Where is Europe? Who is European?

When the editors started to think of a theme for this issue of GUP, around January 2020, they could not have imagined to present it in its current context. Europe in the late Spring of 2020 would recover from the Brexit. EURO2020 was still on the agenda, and this football tournament was going to be organised in 12 European cities, from June 12 until July 12.

But more urgent matters are now at stake: The European Union has closed its external frontiers while many internal borders between member-states have also been shut down, as healthcare is still mainly a national concern. While struggling with the Covid-19 virus, each country has to come up with its own exit strategy.

Europe is fragile in its unity, but it is also more than merely a residence for its millions of citizens. It is a concept too, an ideal. As Europeans, we’re not only challenged with anxiety and fear for an unknown and invisible threat, we’re also finding our individual selves in a belief system of solidarity and are urged to make it a more sustainable virtue.

GUP is also part of the art world, expected to show strength and to be resilient. In this freelance culture, all our creativity is now needed to stay afloat. This year will mark our 15th anniversary but we’re not ready to retire. In line with the EU ambitions, we’re planning to make our visions even more widely (audio)visible – as a membership club – and hope you’re with us in this ongoing adventure, as we continue to be your guide to unique photography.

GUP#65 includes works of: Rob Hornstra (NL) / Josef Schulz (GER) / Valerio Vincenzo (IT) / Eva Stenram (SWE) / Beat Schlatter’s postcard collection (CH) / Michal Chelbin (UKR) / Valery Poshtarov (BUL) / Valeria Cherchi (IT) /  Elena Helfrecht (DE) / Lucia Sekerkova (RO) / Viktor Naumovski (MK) + a highlight of the Deutsche Borse Foundation Prize and the usual guide to upcoming events and recently published books.