"In this sign you will conquer"
Eurosigns are ubiquitous in Brussels. They range from the official, hegemonic branding ot the EU institutions to the quiant charm of hand painted signs of artsans and small entrepreneurs.
OITTINEN, BRUSSELS 2007
My case study is the Capital of Europe, Brussels and the history related material produced and used there. In my view in situ -observation is essential: both the branding of EU takes place in Brussels and the branding of Brussels as the capital of Europe leave their physical and visual marks on the town. The heterogeneity of Brussels as a city reflects, both in degree and kind, the heterogeneity of Europe as a whole.
Both the official and private eurosigns tap into the resources of the EU as a superbrand, The unofficial narratives are neither as carefully branded nor as effectively disseminated as official PR-material for the European Union. Still, the mixed group of entrepreneurs selling computers, food, jewellery, shoes and trips to other continents under the word or sign of "euro" or some visual modification of the official EU-flag has truly set its mark on the urban landscape.
OITTINEN, BRUSSELS 2005
For an extensive discussion, see my article
- In Hoc Signo
Vinces. Eurosigns in the City Scenery of Brussels. In
Frank Eckard (ed.) Media and Urban Space, 201-231, 2008.
Also available through Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei,
Working Papers Series Online, dowload
PDF-file
number 54.07.
More about euro-PR & popularisation of European history
- "Tämä on meidän historiamme". Eurokansalaisuuskasvatusta historianäyttelyssä. Kasvatus ja aika 2008:1.
- Euro-PR ja katseita menneisyyteen. Ennen ja nyt 2007:1.
- Manneken Pis suomipoikana ja maailmankansalaisena. In Maria Lähteenmäki & Minna Aalto (toim.): Identiteetit liikkeessä. Suomalaisten kokemuksia Belgiassa. Siirtolaisinstituutti: Turku 2007, 11-27. Lataa PDF
- Postmodern Heritage Politics the Think Tank Way: Rem Koolhaas Goes Camping in an Eurocircus Tent. Discourses of the visible. National and international perspectives. European Science Foundation's Network 2006, working papers. Download PDF (limited entry)
- Historiapolitiikkaa pikakelauksella. Rem Koolhlaas eurosirkustelttailemassa. Historiallinen aikakauskirja 2005:3, 269-279. Lataa PDF
:::::: 
::::
Go here if you want to
join the eurosignspotters
Some rights
reserved
This work is
licenced under
a Creative Commons
Attribution-Noncommericial,
No Derivative Works 3.0 Licence
HOME ::
PUBLICATIONS ::
PRODUCTIONS ::
EUROPE ::
BLOGI
Page updated
21.7.2009.
Project started 2003.