In the framework of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026, the exhibition of the artistic intervention “WEATHER”, designed and curated by the internationally acclaimed Cypriot designer Michael Anastassiades, has been officially inaugurated.
The intervention features furniture, lighting and artworks that will decorate the Justus Lipsius and Europa buildings, in Brussels, throughout the six-month term of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026. This will transform the heart of the EU Council into a space for cultural exchange, reflection and artistic expression.
The artistic intervention “WEATHER” is part of the Cultural Programme of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026.
The exhibition was inaugurated by the Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus, Dr Vasiliki Kassianidou, and the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union, Ms Thérèse Blanchet. The rationale behind the selection of the works was presented by the exhibition’s curator and designer, Michael Anastassiades.
In her address, Dr Kassianidou underlined that assuming the Cyprus Presidency is a historic moment for the Republic of Cyprus and an opportunity to promote the Cypriot creativity within the two emblematic buildings at the core of the Council. In addition, she stressed the pivotal role of culture as a unifying element of the European identity and as a means of fostering dialogue, cooperation and solidarity.
Reframing space as a field of dialogue, transition and collective memory
Michael Anastassiades developed a comprehensive proposal that goes beyond simply selecting artworks. Instead, he focuses on the overall visitor experience within a strictly institutional environment of high symbolic value. Guided by subtlety, abstraction and precision, the intervention offers motivation for observation, thought and dialogue with respect to the space and the multiple interpretations that art can inspire.
The focal point of “WEATHER’’ is not merely a reference to climate, but to the “weather” as a living system through which time, memory, culture and the exchange of ideas constantly pass. The notion of “weather” is also connected to the idea of a critical “opening” and a critical “momentum” that allows for new connections and one common observation: As Cyprus “arrives” in Brussels, Europe is invited to “look back” at the island and recognise it as a bridge between Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
As the project curator explained when presenting the rationale of his proposal, the spatial narrative begins with an illuminated passageway – an “avenue” – which guides visitors from the public realm into the interior space. This transition creates a symbolic bridge between the “outside” and the “inside”, and between different geographical areas and climate conditions. It introduces the theme of “WEATHER” as a source of inspiration: “weather” is not merely a meteorological phenomenon, but a living field through which time, memory and cultural exchange flow.
A broad array of artistic talents take part in the intervention. Specifically, the participants include: Stelios Kallinikos, Joanna Louca, Marietta Mavrokordatou, Polys Peslikas together with Michael Anastassiades Studio. The accompanying publication was produced in collaboration with Clio Hadjigeorgiou (graphic design) and Penelope Ioannou (text/editing).
