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353 pages

English

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Signifying Europe provides a systematic overview of the wide range of symbols used to represent Europe and Europeanness, both by the political elite and the broader public. Through a critical interpretation of the meanings of the various symbols—and their often contradictory or ambiguous dimensions—Johan Fornäs uncovers illuminating insights into how Europe currently identifies itself and is identified by others outside its borders. While the focus is on the European Union’s symbols, those symbols are also interpreted in relation to other symbols of Europe. Offering insight into the cultural dimensions of European unification, this volume will appeal to students, scholars, and politicians interested in European policy issues, cultural studies, and postnational cultural identity.

An ePDF version of this book is available for free download from the OAPEN platform: Signifying Europe.

Chapter 1: Name and Myth

Free Chapter

Chapter 2: Identifying Symbols

Free Chapter

Chapter 3: Symbols of a Union

Free Chapter

Chapter 4: Day

Free Chapter

Chapter 5: Motto

Free Chapter

Chapter 6: Flag

Free Chapter

Chapter 7: Anthem

Free Chapter

Chapter 8: Currency

Free Chapter

Chapter 9: Projecting Europe

Free Chapter

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Publié par	Intellect Books
Date de parution	19 septembre 2012
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781841506579
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	2 Mo

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Extrait

Fornäs
Signifying €urope
Signifying
€urope
Johan Fornäs
Signifying Europe provides a systematic overview of the wide range of symbols
used to represent Europe and Europeanness, both by the political elite and the
broader public. Through a critical interpretation of the meanings of the various
symbols—and their often contradictory or ambiguous dimensions—Johan Fornäs
investigates how Europe currently identifes itself and is identifed by others
outside its borders. While the focus is on the European Union’s symbols, those
symbols are also interpreted in relation to other symbols of Europe. Offering
insight into the cultural dimensions of European unifcation, this volume will appeal
to students, scholars and politicians interested in European policy issues, cultural
studies, and postnational cultural identity.
Johan Fornäs is Professor at the Department of Media and Communication
Studies at Södertörn University in Sweden, director of the Advanced Cultural
Studies Institute of Sweden, and the editor of Culture Unbound: Journal of
Current Cultural Research.
Signifying
ISBN 978-1-84150-521-3
00 €urope
9 781841 505213
Johan Fornäs
intellect | www.intellectbooks.com
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Why We Make ArtSignifying Europe
at why it is taught
Johan Fornäs
by Richard HickmanPublished with support from the Sven and Dagmar Salén Foundation and the
Publication Committee of Södertörn University in Sweden.
First published in the UK in 2012 by Intellect,
The Mill, Parnall Road, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 3JG, UK
First published in the USA in 2012 by Intellect, The University of Chicago Press,
1427 E. 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Copyright © 2012 Intellect Ltd
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Copy-editor: Macmillan
Cover design: Holly Rose
Typesetting: John Teehan
Cover image includes a detail of Captain Euro, reproduced here with the kind
permission of Nicolas De Santis.
ISBN (Hardback): 978-1-84150-480-3
ISBN (Paperback): 978-1-521-3
Printed and bound by Latimer Trend & Company Ltd, Plymouth. For HilleviSignifying Europe
ivContents
List of Illustrations ix
Introduction 1
Chapter 1: Name and Myth 5
What’s in a name — and in a myth? 5
Introducing and interpreting the name and myth of Europe 8
Comparisons 17
Phoenix, Prometheus and post-World War II resurrection 20
Captain Euro 27
Conclusions 37
Chapter 2: Identifying Symbols 43
Meanings 44
Interpretations 46
Polysemies 48
Identities 50
Identifers 52
Keys 56
Approaching European symbols 59Signifying Europe
Chapter 3: Symbols of a Union 61
The emergence of Europe 64
Introducing the EU symbols 76
Chapter 4: Day 85
What’s in a day? 85
Introducing Europe Day 88
Interpreting Europe Day 90
Comparisons and commentary 92
Conclusions 99
Chapter 5: Motto 103
What’s in a motto? 103
Introducing the European motto 104
Interpretinto 106
Comparisons and commentary 108
Conclusions 112
Chapter 6: Flag 115
What’s in a fag? 115
Introducing the European fag 117
Interpretin 120
Comparisons and commentary 128
Conclusions 145
viChapter 7: Anthem 149
What’s in an anthem? 149
Introducing the European anthem 153
Interpreting Beethoven’s Ode to Joy 158
Interpreting the European anthem 171
Comparisons 181
Conclusions 201
Chapter 8: Currency 205
What’s in a currency? 205
Introducing the euro 210
Interpreting the common euro designs 215
Interpreting the national euro coin designs 223
Comparisons 243
Conclusions 248
Chapter 9: Projecting Europe 251
Additional symbolic realms 252
Four facets 256
In conclusion 262
Notes 267
References 299
List of Figure Sources 321
Index 325Signifying Europe
viiiList of Figures and Illustrations
With the exception of Figures 7.1–7.5, all fgures appear in the colour section
located at the back of this book.
0.1 David Černý: Entropa in the European Council building in Brussels, 2009
1.1 Europa and the Bull, Greek vase painting, c. 480 bc
1.2 Europa and Zeus Transformed into a Bull, terracotta fgurine from Boeotia,
c. 460 bc
1.3 Rembrandt van Rijn: Te Abduction of Europa, 1632
1.4 Carl Milles: Europa and the Bull, Halmstad, Sweden, 1935
1.5 Nikos and Pandelis Sotiriadis: Te Abduction of Europa, sculpture outside the
European Parliament building in Strasbourg, 2005
1.6 Phoenix
1.7 Prometheus Brings Fire to Mankind, Heinrich Friedrich Füger, 1817
1.8 Murdoch’s Chinese Phoenix Television logo
1.9 Captain Euro together with his partner Europa and Lupo the wolf
1.10 Captain Euro with Twelve Stars team members
3.1 Satellite image of Europe
3.2 Polish map of Europe’s countries
3.3 European Union member states, 2007
3.4 Council of Europe member states, 2009
ixSignifying Europe
4.1 Medelålders plus (‘Middle Aged Plus’), by Sven-Bertil Bärnarp, Dagens
Nyheter, 2010
6.1 Te EU fag
6.2 Pietro Berrettini da Cortona’s fresco in the Grand Salon of Palazzo Barberini
in Rome, 1639
6.3 Giovanni Battista Tiepolo: Te Immaculate Conception, 1767–69
6.4 ‘Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal’ celebrating the apparition of St Mary on
Rue du Bac in Paris, 1830
6.5 Te US ‘Betsy Ross fag’, 1777–95
6.6 Greek philosopher Anaximander’s circular cosmology, c. 610 bc–c. 546 bc
6.7 Anaximander’s world map
6.8 Kosovo fag
6.9 Turkey fag
6.10 Flag of the People’s Republic of China
6.11 Pan-African fag of the UNIA Universal Negro Improvement Association and
African Communities League
6.12 African Union Flag used until 2010
6.13 African Union Flag used afer 30 January 2010
6.14 Carolingian Triquetra-cross
6.15 Original Paneuropean Union fag
6.16 Paneuropean Union fag in its recent version incorporating the EU stars
6.17 European Movement fag
6.18 Flag of the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine (CCNR)
6.19 Flag of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)
6.20 Flag of the Western European Union (WEU)
6.21 1950s logo of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
6.22 1990s logo of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
6.23 Te Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) logo in Istanbul, 2004
xList of Figures and Illustrations
6.24 Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) logo
6.25 Champions League logo
6.26 EU barcode
6.27 Picobelleuropa, 2005
6.28 Maarten Vanden Eynde’s 2006 fag in Europe 2006–2014, 2005
6.29 Gay European fag used in Gay Pride events since 2005
6.30 Vlad Nancă: I Do Not Know What Union I Want to Belong to Anymore, 2003
6.31 Nemania Cvijanović: Te Sweetest Dream, 2005
6.32 David Černý: Entropa, Brussels, 2009
7.1 Te lyrics of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony
7.2 Graphic overview of the Fourth Movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony
7.3 Te European anthem melody
7.4 A theme from Georg Friedrich Handel’s Coronation Anthem Zadok the Priest,
the basis for the UEFA Champions League anthem
7.5 Te Marc-Antoine Charpentier theme used as anthem for the European
Broadcasting Union EBU and its Eurovision
7.6 Christer Sjögren, 2008
7.7 InCulto, 2010
8.1 Euro banknotes, 2002
8.2 Euro coins from the original twelve EMU member states and associated
countries, 2002
8.3 New Euro coins obverse, 2007
8.4 Euro coins (reverse) from the fve new member states, 2007–11
8.5 Commemorative €2 coins (reverses), 2007 and 2009
8.6 Nauru’s $10 coin, 2002
8.7 US $5 banknote since 2006, Chinese 5 yuan banknote since 1999, Russian 5
ruble banknote since 1998 and South African 50 rand banknote since 1999
xiSignifying Europe
xiiIntroduction
In January 2009, David Černý’s sculpture Entropa, commissioned to mark
the Czech presidency of the Council of the European Union, was unveiled in the
Brussels headquarters (Figure 0.1). Te work consists of satirical versions of national
stereotypes, mounted in a framework looking like plastic model kits. For instance,
Černý depicted the Netherlands as fooded, with only minarets visible above the
water surface; France with a big ‘strike’ sign; and Romania as a Dracula theme park.
A heated debate ensued, as it turned out that Černý had faked other artists that were
supposed to have contributed to the work, and also since Bulgaria got their depiction
covered over as it had the form of a standing toilet, which was considered insulting.
Te artist declared a wish to provoke ofcial European Union-speak, but also
to express Europe’s capacity of critical self-refection. Trough a playful analysis
of national stereotypes, the intention was to expose the way Europeans tend to
focus on diferences between countries in terms of everyday habits: to ‘show how
difcult and fragmented Europe as a whole can seem’ and to ‘point at the difculty
1of communication ’.Te sculpture indicates that there is—and perhaps can be—no
European unity. Te name Entropa plays with the term ‘entropy’—a thermodynamic
term ofen used metaphorically to signify an unstoppably increasing level of
randomness and disorder in a system. Te artwork depicts each nation as a closed
unity, efectively cut of from all others, unable to fuse into a unifed whole, emptying
the European Union (EU) project of any hope for success.
Tis is certainly in line with some apparent failures of the integration process.
However, there is also a more problematic undertext in Černý’s work: it seems to imply
that European nations are well-defned and closed units—at least infnitely more so
than Europe as a whole. Tis naturalisation of national identity is untenable. European
nations are all ‘imagined communities’ (Benedict Anderson) that with shifing success
have been consolidated by economic and political institutions. So Europe is not alone
in being a sociocultural construction with strong imaginary elements, and more of a
project than an existing empirical fact. Such imaginary communities are not