EU Cyprus Presidency, 2026
It begins with a passage: an illuminated avenue of lamps guiding visitors from the public space into the heart of the Justus Lipsius building. Functioning as a bridge between the outside and the inside, between different geographies and climatic conditions, this threshold introduces the theme of WEATHER, the source of inspiration for this Presidency. Michael Anastassiades developed the concept for the installation, selecting the contributing Cypriot artists, both emerging and established, whose works engage with weather as a vessel for everything that has been and will be on the island. In curating and commissioning the individual artworks, he shaped moments of stillness and movement throughout the building, creating gateways to the island itself, shaped by the personalities of the Cypriot climate, both material and immaterial.
Michael Anastassiades was selected to decorate spaces within the Justus Lipsius and Europa buildings in Brussels, to mark Cyprus’ Presidency of the European Union in 2026. He curated a selection of works from Cypriot artists Stelios Kallinikou, Joanna Louca, Marietta Mavrokordatou and Polys Peslikas, graphic designer Clio Hadjigeorgiou and writing by Penelope Ioannou, as well as creating his own furniture and lighting objects used throughout the space.
