Europeana 280 is coming to your country. This cross-border campaign organised by Europeana, the Dutch design studio DROPSTUFF.nl, the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision and multiple Embassies of the Kingdom of The Netherlands across Europe. The campaign aims to get people excited about Europe’s shared art heritage by celebrating the diverse and magnificent artworks that are a part of it. Check out this website to see which pieces were chosen by each country.

The #BigArtRide is the first of a series of digital public events. In the Netherlands it will celebrate the Dutch Presidency of the EU. It will bring together two participants in different cities (one in Amsterdam, one elsewhere), invite them to get on their (stationary) bikes, put on virtual reality ‘Oculus Rift’ headsets, and navigate through a virtual city experiencing centuries of Europe’s art along the way. However, the Netherlands is not the only country where people can enjoy this fascinating tour. Other cities are Vienna, Brussels, Rome, Prague, Londen and Paris. For more information on dates and locations, please visit this website.

If you can’t join in real life, have a look at the new virtual exhibition “Faces of Europe“. This exhibition is featuring artworks from all 28 member states and Norway as well. It highlights the art that has contributed to major European art movements, but that are not particularly well-known to the general public.

Europe’s art heritage is vast and varied. But while most art lovers are familiar with artists such as Rembrandt or Munch, how much is known about Danish impressionism or Bohemian Gothic? Or the women who made a living from painting in the 16th and 17th centuries?

In exploring what was happening in Vilnius and Copenhagen, Paris and Bucharest, new faces and new insights are discovered into national cultures and identities. We are reminded of the power of art and how it can transform our lives. Every country got involved which resulted in this diverse and interesting collection.

The entire Europeana 280 collection can further be explored and enjoyed online via Europeana Collections, and via the apps DailyArt and ArtStack and the new Europeana colouring app based on works in the collection CREATE, as well as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest using #Europeana280. Through this campaign everyone is invited to celebrate the great artworks contributed by every EU Member State and Norway. Join us this summer and discover a new and rich shared heritage!