English / Lithuanian edition

The Former Capital is the first regional publication of The Europeans, the new multi-year project by Arnold van Bruggen and Rob Hornstra. The Former Capital is a region where in the wake of newfound independence, nationalism and militarism are on the rise. The search for a strong, own identity is strengthened by a stagnating economy and the consequences of depopulation. The surge of globalism, open borders and a new morality often clashes with those clinging to the values of the conservative class.

“Ten percent of our population has gone to the West. They contribute to economic growth there. It’s logical to ask for some compensation.”
— President Gitanas Nausėda

The Europeans is a ten-year quest to find the contemporary European at a time when Europe is struggling. Growing nationalism and populism are reviving old ghosts. Authoritarian regimes are on the rise and the political dream of a united and peaceful Europe is proving increasingly fragile.

In the decade to 2030, Van Bruggen and Hornstra will document 20 regions in Europe. Each period spent in one of these regions culminates with an exhibition and the launch of a publication of the same name in the place where the work was made. This publication is the result of a period spent in a region entitled ‘The Former Capital’, somewhere in Europe.

Each region publication is accompanied by a numbered hardcover edition including signed print in an edition of 120 copies. More information here.

Specs

Publisher: The Europeans / Kaunas Photography Gallery
Text: Arnold van Bruggen
Design: Kummer & Herrman
Softcover: 112 pp
Dimensions: 170 x 213 mm (6.7 x 8.4 in.)
Language: English / Lithuanian
Print run: 1,000 copies