Katerina Gregos

On March 21st, 2012, Newtopia - The State of Human Rights held its first get together in Mechelen where Katerina Gregos introduced the concept of the exhibition that will run from September 1st to December 10, 2012 and the new partners of Newtopia were announced.

Following City in Women’s Hand (Stad in Vrouwenhanden) in 2005 and City Visions in 2009, this autumn Mechelen presents a city event that explores the social relevance of contemporary art through the very timely subject of human rights. The Mechelen city authorities have commissioned the internationally renowned curator Katerina Gregos to put together a temporary exhibition to coincide with the opening of Kazerne Dossin, Memorial, Museum, and Documentation Centre on Holocaust and Human Rights. This unique, large-scale international art exhibition will be on view from 1 September to 10 December in five cultural institutions as well as in public spaces in the city-centre of Mechelen. A diverse programme of side events, a publication, and an international conference for professionals on the future of human rights will provide the overall framework for the event.

ING Belgium partner of Newtopia
Newtopia: The State of Human Rights makes a natural partner for ING. ING is delighted to offer its full support to the four Mechelen visual art exhibitions, universal in nature and on an ambitious scale, that will focus on the highly relevant theme of human rights.
The cooperation between ING and Newtopia is unique. This partnership goes beyond traditional sponsorship and also involves solidarity in terms of content. For two months a fifth component will be added to Newtopia – a kind of satellite, one could say. From 10 October to 10 December 2012, in its Cultural Centre on Koningsplein/place Royale in Brussels, the ING will present a contemporary art exhibition devoted to one of the key figures of Newtopia. The name of the artist – who will be the subject of a one-man retrospective – will be revealed to you shortly by Katerina Gregos, who will also curate this exhibition. In this way ING intends to underline its appreciation of and belief in the social relevance of the city of Mechelen's project.

Amnesty International partner of Newtopia
Human rights are the cornerstone of our society and the heart of Amnesty International.
Newtopia has taken up the challenge of turning the spotlight on human rights in a thoroughly contemporary and powerful way. The first international exhibition of contemporary art on the theme of human rights is based on an unshakeable belief in the universality and indivisibility of human rights. Newtopia not only intends to denounce violations of human rights; it also intends to show the positive results and strength of the human rights movement. Newtopia aims to inspire visitors and to persuade them that each one of us can make a contribution to a world in which everyone can fully enjoy all their rights.
It is precisely this combination of indignation about violations of human rights and hope and conviction that you can do something as an individual to change things that is the driving force of the more than 3 million Amnesty sympathisers all over the world. That is why Amnesty International wholeheartedly supports this exhibition.

Human Rights Watch partner of Newtopia
Human Rights Watch is pleased to partner with Newtopia: the State of Human Rights, to support an exploration into the intersection between contemporary art and the human rights movement through the launch of a groundbreaking exhibition in the city of Mechelen.
For more than 30 years, Human Rights Watch has worked to document abuse, expose human rights violations to the world, and advocate for change. By focusing international attention where human rights are violated, we aim to give voice to the oppressed and hold oppressors accountable for their crimes.
The Newtopia exhibition in Mechelen will provide opportunities to explore the complexities of the human rights movement and the evolving discourse around this movement. Through art work by more than 60 internationally renowned artists, Newtopia will consider the achievements, failures and future challenges of the human rights movement.
As an organization, Human Rights Watch has witnessed many of these achievements and challenges over the past thirty years. More recently, we have worked to promote the rights of people throughout the Middle East and North Africa, who demand freedom from tyranny and oppressive human rights conditions; supported the efforts of women worldwide to demand their equal rights; spoken out against corporations that abuse worker rights; and worked tirelessly to ensure that those responsible for grave human rights crimes will be held to account in a court of law and victims of atrocities be recognized.

http://www.visualartsflanders.be/events/newtopia-state-human-rights
http://www.newtopia.be