Opening :
Tuesday, March 19, 2013, 18:30 hrs at the European Parliament, Brussels Area "Balcony 3rd floor" - ASP Building
The opening will be followed by a cocktail and a tasting of wines from Transylvania

This exhibition will feature works from 82 artists representing 52 different countries and 16 youth (under 16) artist from 5 countries.

Music performance Melodis Folk : Emilia Szongoth & Marius Moga

Book launch „Poem of silence“ by Ioan Hădărig / graphics by Ştefan Balog
French translation : Marcela Hădărig. Book funded by County Council Alba, Romania through “Lucian Blaga” Alba County Library, Romania

"Freedom and art - without borders" is more than just an exhibition, it is a dream which became reality for a group of young, enthusiastic and talented artists from Aiud, a small town in Transylvania. This exhibition gathers the works of art created by tens of contemporary artists all around the world. After a successful long travel at the UN Headquarters in New York, in Rabat - Morocco and Vienna, this exhibition will step into the building of the European Parliament in Brussels.

It is my privilege to host this international art exhibition as a Hungarian MEP born in Transylvania, belonging to a community where I was raised in a multicultural spirituality.

Transylvania, my homeland, is a mythical land. This fact is certainly not due to any Western fantastic stories, but to its spirituality and the soul of its people. It is a land of several ethnicities and many languages, more than ten national communities besides the Romanian and the Hungarian, living together for centuries and contributing to the common Transylvanian cultural space.

The Transylvanian culture is a typical European culture, a special blend, a mixture of cultures, languages, religions, traditions, histories, but sometimes also conflicts, adventures, different perceptions, interactions. A special cultural blend treated with empathy, respect and pride by the Transylvanian society.

During several centuries the intellectuals and artists from Transylvania visited the European centres of culture and education, which were the places of their spiritual fulfilment and the sources of a cultural package brought home and used ultimately for the well being of their smaller or larger communities. Their European experiences contributed to our scientific, artistic, literal works, making them unique European works. Now is the time to share with Europe our achievements and dreams, as the artistic act and the art itself are the most effective vehicles to achieve this goal.

"Freedom and art - without borders" exhibition could be seen as the result of our European mentality continuously connected to the artistic movement from all around the world.

I am honoured as Hungarian MEP from Transylvania - Romania, representing the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians from Romania - RMDSZ - member of the EPP, to bring in the heart of Europe this exhibition of fine arts, having faith that art can build one of the most powerful connections between the people, communities and nations.

Iuliu Winkler, MEP

I am very glad and honoured by the success of the „Inter-Art“ Foundation in organizing this exhibition. To gather at one place artworks of 82 artists from 52 countries is more than a record, it's a triumph of art on any concerns, it's a proof of solidarity, it's a lesson which should make all of us to think and focus on the really important issues

As a simple man I am very glad for this triumph of art, as a man of the administration I am honoured that a foundation and the high level culture which represents are the image of my region in the world.

Ion Dumitrel
President of Alba County Council

The „Inter-Art“ Foundation represents over a decade the cultural image of Aiud. Contributed in changing the image of this city and marked together with the City Hall of Aiud the name of city of arts .

The foundation's activities are many and different, from the famous International Art Camp and International Youth Art Camp to the international Mail -Art exhibitions, intercontinental biennials of small graphics, humour festival, film and photo festival, music performances, publishing.

They inaugurated in Aiud the Inter-Art Galleries and the Contemporary Art Museum.

They represented the Romanian culture and the image of Romania in successful exhibitions in Bombay, Istanbul , Cairo, Vienna, Rabat, Vichy, Chatel Montagne, Washington, New York. Thanks to other participations they took the message of communication through art in almost every part of the world.

Now the name of the „Inter-Art“ Foundation and city of Aiud is known in over 50 countries from the whole world. We are sure that the exhibition from the European Parliament from Brussels will represent a very important step for everyone who will be involved in this ambitious project.

Mihai Horaţiu Josan
Mayor of Aiud

The „Inter-Art“ Foundation, a complex cultural phenomenon in the contemporary art space proposes a new project which tries to redefine an artistic time of the present.

After the exhibitions in the contemporary art galleries and museums, after the ample retrospectives from Washington, New York, Vienna, Vichy, Chatel Montagne, Kutztown, Rabat, Sale, etc.,after the manifestations which took place in unconventional areas: Prison Art and Liter Art - marked by the prison environment, after the Wine Art - an other unique project which changes the bottle of wine and its label into a cultural product, after the original publications, we propose through this exhibition within the European Parliament from Brussels, an ample journey in the existence of some successful projects of the foundation from Aiud: the “Inter-Art” International Art Camp, “Inter-Art” International Youth Art Camp, Intercontinental Biennial of Small Graphics. The first brings to Aiud every year in August , during 18 editions the most important fine artists from the whole world and the youth art camp offers to the young talents an artistic working and meeting place next to valuable art teachers, reunited in original art studios.

The Biennial its considered such an intercontinental event which offers to the artists the possibility of free expression of the artistic creation, unconditioned by political, ethnical and religious criterions.

The exhibition it's a cultural provocation of the values, alternative perceptions and present artistic dimensions of the contemporary space.

Ioan Hădărig / manager "Liviu Rebreanu" Cultural Center Aiud, Romania / art director of the “Inter-Art” Foundation Aiud, Romania

The exhibition proposed at the European Parliament Headquarter from Brussels proves once again the spread of the "Inter-Art" phenomenon and its universality on the field of contemporary fine arts. FREEDOM AND ART WITHOUT BORDERS it's a generic which suggests the proposed message, through which art becomes the supreme ambassador between nations and cultures from the whole world.

The "Inter-Art" Foundation comes with a new collection which is beyond its own record of international representation, after the most important exhibition so far which was organized in March 2009 at United Nations Headquarters from New York, where 53 artists from 32 countries were exhibited. This time we present 82 artists from 52 countries from all the continents and as a premiere a small collection of artworks which belong to young talents aged between 12 and 16 years old. This aspect makes stronger our idea of sustaining the young talents and promoting their image at high professional level.

Continuing our promoting policy at the highest level, the „Inter-Art“ Foundation propose this time too a quality exhibition with a wide area, technically speaking as well as the high level quality.

The possibility to exhibit in the most important place from Europe makes us honoured and in the same time obligated to keep the high artistic level and the promotion of the Inter-Art policy in the world.

I have said and I repeat: who makes an investment in art, invests in future. In this future we are stepping through the present…

Ştefan Balog / president of the “Inter-Art” Foundation

The “Inter-Art” Foundation Aiud, established in 1998, provides an alternative approach to contemporary art. It acts as a liaison between civilizations and cultures, and provides an arena for worldwide contemporary artists. The basic principles and goals are: the representation of contemporary art, the discovery of an area of cultural interference between Romanian artists and artists from around the world, and the organization of an international art camp in Aiud, which is designed to bring a fresh perspective on the contemporary art scene every year.

The international art camp in Aiud, which was created in 1996 thanks to the initiative of the visual artist Ştefan Balog, has joined over 200 artists from 53 countries over the last 17 years. The workshops (painting, graphics, engraving, sculpture, photographic and video art, installations, exhibitions organized during themed workshops and symposiums, etc.) have made the event one of the most important creation camps in the world. For seven years now, an international youth creation camp has been hosted during the event. This camp was created for young people aged 12 to 16 and has gathered in the Aiud creation camps more than 100 young artists from 7 countries: Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and Romania.

The “Inter-Art” Foundation Aiud held exhibitions with artworks performed in the “Inter-Art” international projects:

February 2001 - a review of the Aiud camps covering 51 works from 21 countries held at the Romanian Literature Museum in Bucharest (Romania).
March 2001 - the first Romanian art exhibition held in Bombay (India), featuring 30 works from 10 Romanian artists .
June 2001 - exhibition of the Aiud camps held at the Naval Museum in Istanbul (Turkey).
October 2003 - Romanian art exhibition at the “Atelier the Artists” Gallery in Cairo (Egypt).
December 2003 - an international exhibition at the “Shagun” Gallery and a personal exhibition signed by Ştefan Balog at the “Artists Centre” in Bombay (India).
October 2008 - a large-scale retrospective exhibition at Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars in Washington DC, presenting 43 artists from 21 countries and regions.
March - April 2009 - “Freedom and Art without Borders”, the largest visual arts exhibition, held at the UN headquarters in New York, bringing together 53 artists from 32 countries from all continents
June 2009 - “Inter-Art “exhibition within the “Visual Arts Spring” event in Rabat, Morocco, which promoted artists who participated at the Intercontinental Biennial of Small Graphics “Inter-Art” Aiud from Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Cuba, Switzerland, India, Japan, Finland, Serbia, Poland, Macedonia, Great Britain, Mexico, Greece, USA, Turkey, Hungary, Ukraine and Romania. Also, the project of the visual arts artist Yasemin Yilmaz from Germany: “Globalisation- Connection- Time: 6 continents, 12 artists, 1 day”.
November 2009 - “Inter-Art” international exhibition in old Europe at the “Time Gallery” Vienna (Austria) comprising 55 artists from 23 countries from all over the globe, accompanied by a music performance by the Melodis Folk Group.
May 2011 - two international exhibitions at Vichy and Chatel Montagne in France.
September 2011 - honoured a second invitation from United States presenting two exhibitions: in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, a retrospective of the International "Inter-Art" art camps; and at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Washington, D.C., a retrospective of the Intercontinental Biennial of Small Graphics.

The event in Vienna wraps up an artistic triptyque in memory of the martyrs of the Romanian Revolution and of all those who sacrificed themselves for Freedom. The contemporary art and freedom triptyque opened, symbolically, at the UN headquarters in New York (USA), before continuing on African land in Rabat/Sale (Morocco) and ending on European soil, in Vienna (Austria), one of the biggest capitals of contemporary art.

In May 2008, the Foundation organized the “Prison Art” Camp, which took place in the Maximum Security Prison in Aiud, with the participation of 10 visual artists from Austria, Haiti, Morocco, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Romania, along with 7 imprisoned people.

Between 2007-2008, in Alba Iulia, the “Inter-Art” Foundation Aiud was partner, along with Jidvei Company, in organizing two editions of the Wine Art International Graphic Art Camp (the cultural and artistic refinement of the label on the bottle of wine) at which 20 artists from 9 countries participated.

The Intercontinental Biennial of Small Graphics gathered on the exhibition stands during its first edition in 2006, 113 artists from 24 countries from all continents and during its second edition in 2008, 92 artists from 25 countries.

The most unconventional project of the Foundation, initiated by Ioan Hădărig, is the annual international mail art exhibition, at the opening of the “Inter-Art” International Art Camps, starting from a given theme: 1998 -"The Theatre, the Painting and the Word”, 2000 - "Challenge", 2002 - "Inter-Art", 2003 - "EU-Ro", 2004 - "Hamlet", 2004 - "Mumbai As You Know", 2005 - "10", 2006 - "Nud-Art", 2007 - "People & Culture", 2008 - "Art & Environment", 2009 - "Liberty", 2010 - "The Portrait", 2011 - “Imaginaire and Illusion”, 2011 - “Connections”, 2012 - “2012”, 2012 - “Ex Libris in the XXIth century”, 2012 - “Chiru - the painter of the human soul”.

Other projects initiated by the “Inter-Art” Foundation: 1999 - 2000 - “Trance Mixion” concert (computer music) with Sorin Anca and Robert Lixandru; 2001 - “Aiud nights” music festival; the “International Humour Festival” (under the patronage of Ştefan Popa Popas); the “International Artistic Photography and Documentaries Festival”; the “Inter-Art Magazine” (from May 2003); albums, books, catalogues etc.

In spring 2000, at the initiative of the “Inter-Art” Foundation Aiud and by the decision of the Local Council, Aiud municipality received the title “City of Arts” as recognition for the important artistic events which took place there. In August 2000, at the final exhibition of the 5th “Inter-Art” International Art Camp, the “Inter-Art” Galleries were inaugurated; a place promoting contemporary art, artistic value, and encouraging young visual artists.

The 10th edition of the International “Inter-Art” Art Camp is celebrated with the opening of the “Inter-Art Contemporary Art Museum” Aiud, gathering 500 visual art works created by visual artists from over 50 countries.

During April and May 2010, the 54th edition of the Bourbonnaise Art Exhibition took place in Vichy (France). The “Inter-Art” Foundation Aiud was a special guest. It was the first foreign foundation invited to exhibit there, and it received the cultural medal of the Vichy municipality in France.

The “Inter-Art” Foundation has contacts with similar organisations and artists from 52 countries. It has signed partnership agreements with “Bethlen Foundation” Gyomaendrod (Hungary), “Design Bureau Foundation” Bombay (India), AMAC (Morocco), “Nazareth Association” Alba-Iulia (Romania) and “Aparte Association” Cluj Napoca (Romania).

In 2004, a partnership agreement with the City Hall Aiud and the "Liviu Rebreanu" Cultural Center Aiud was signed, and in 2005 a partnership agreement was concluded with the Romanian National Commission for UNESCO.