The leading European foundations active in safeguarding our cultural heritage are presenting some of the major works from their collections as part of the exhibition ‘From Tiepolo to Richter, European dialogue’.

The exhibition will remind us how, over the centuries, heritage has encouraged encounters between Europeans. The initiative was born on the occasion of the European Year of Cultural Heritage, a perfect opportunity for European foundations active in this field to make the public more aware of their work. Art and culture have always been excellent ambassadors. The prestigious works to be shown in Brussels provide echoes of the great and small history of all Europeans.

The works have been selected by each of the 14 participating foundations and result in an astonishing variety of works being exhibited alongside each other. Artists from a bygone age include Auguste Rodin, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Jacob Jordaens and Albrecht Dürer whilst the modern era is represented by works created by Gerhard Richter, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Constant, Maria Helena Vieira da Silva and Léon Spilliaert among others.

An initiative of the King Baudouin Foundation, in collaboration with Fondazione Cariplo, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, the Finnish Cultural Foundation, Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lucca, Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca, Fondazione CRT, Fundação Oriente, the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Olbricht Foundation, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, Saastamoinen Foundation, Svenska Kulturfonden and Vereniging Rembrandt. The exhibition marks the occasion of the general assembly of the European Foundation Centre, which this year is held in Brussels.

The exhibition will also serve to underline the importance of the activities undertaken by European foundations to encourage the preservation of our cultural heritage for future generations.