Georgian art and culture will be in focus of European institutions and citizens in the 2022 edition of Europalia Arts Festival, a major biennial event hosted in Brussels. All facets of the country’s creative potential and cultural legacy will be highlighted for Festival visitors by a representation of Georgia as the official Guest Country between October 2022 and January 2023.

The selection of Georgia for the status was revealed earlier today by Natalie Sabanadze, the country’s Ambassador to Belgium and Head of Georgian mission to the European Union.  Speaking to reporters at Georgia’s Foreign Ministry, Sabanadze said the Festival would bring a “celebration of Georgian culture” to Brussels, Belgium and European capitals. Europalia editions involve hundreds of events and activities showcasing guest countries during the biennial occasions run under the patronage of the royal family of Belgium. The next Festival edition in 2019-2020 is dedicated to Romania, while the most recent event highlighted art and culture of Indonesia.

The Europalia team develops its editions in cooperation with a national team from the selected Guest Country, with its “multidisciplinary programme” reaching a “broad European audience not only with exhibitions, but also with performing arts, music, literature, conferences and film”, organisers said. Hosted since 1969, the most recent Festival was visited by around 570,000 visitors and spectators going to 20 exhibitions, 75 concerts, 98 dance and theatre performances, 32 literary events and 37 film screenings. Georgian culture and arts were most recently represented at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair, where artists, authors and cultural institutions from the country were introduced to audiences in German-speaking countries in the run-up and during the major event.