European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture Opens in Berlin

The European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC) opened in Berlin on June 8, 2017, with an inaugural exhibition titled "Transcending the Past, Shaping the Future" featuring contemporary Roma artists from eight European countries. The institute aims to combat underrepresentation of Roma in European art and culture. Executive director Timea Junghaus stated that only one in 10,000 works by Roma artists in state collections is displayed in permanent exhibitions across Europe. With approximately 12 million people, Roma are Europe's largest minority but have lacked a cultural institution. A precursor was the first Roma pavilion at the 2007 Venice Biennale, curated by Junghaus with support from Italian minister Emma Bonino and EU president José Manuel Durão Barroso. ERIAC was established by the Alliance for the European Roma Institute, backed by the Council of Europe (47 member states) and George Soros' Open Society Foundations. Soros emphasized the importance of developing an authentic Roma identity to overcome racism. German minister Michael Roth noted Berlin's role as a culturally vibrant city in democratic Europe. The institute will fully open its premises in autumn 2017.