Spirits of Internationalism took place simultaneously at the Van Abbe Museum in Eindhoven and at the M HKA. The exhibition was a reflection on the tension between the international and various regional and local art scenes. They revalued the often ambiguous relationship of the Belgian/Flemish and Dutch art scene of the 60s and 70s against the domination of international and canonised art.
The works on display come from six European collections, including four museums and two artistic archives. They were created between 1956 and 1986, a period of rapid economic and technological developments, but also strained international relations.
Spirits of Internationalism showed how the reality of the Cold War influenced art and gave a different meaning to the concepts of 'international' and 'regional'. The exhibition wanted to debunk the simplified concept of the ‘three worlds’ by showing famous and less famous artworks in surprising constellations. These were by a mix of internationally renowned artists and artists who deserved recognition outside their own region.
Spirits of Internationalism was the final part of a series of exhibitions organised by the European cooperation project L’Internationale. The partners in this project are the M HKA in Antwerp, MACBA in Barcelona, Van Abbe Museum in Eindhoven, Moderna Galerija in Ljubljana, Július Koller Society in Bratislava and KwieKulik Archive in Warsaw.