Page of the universal atlas, VI. Europe today 

Pierre Alechinsky created this print of a page of a universal atlas, entitled 'VI. Europe today', in 1974. Alechinsky was closely associated with the CoBrA art movement, named after the home cities of its founders: Copenhagen, Brussels, and Amsterdam. The CoBrA group, which began in 1948, questioned Western European society. They argued that the established traditions and aesthetics were out of touch with the suffering and alienation of the post-war world. They looked to folk art, children's art, and Surrealism for inspiration, embracing spontaneity and a rejection of academic norms. In this piece, the artist uses an antique map as a ground, over which he imposes mythical beasts and abstract figures. As a result, borders are blurred. Is Alechinsky suggesting that these imposed, geometric structures are fictions? Are they dangerous, even monstrous, in their imposition? Here, Alechinsky develops an alternative, personal narrative. He confronts us with a blend of cultural criticism and raw emotional expression. The beasts are disturbing; they ask us to consider our role in the narrative of our world.