By Carola Rico
Casa Europa México is an entity headed by a small group of Mexican and European art and culture aficionados committed to promoting culture, education, and the environment of Mexico in Europe and of Europe in Mexico.
It seeks to spread art and culture to Mexicans and Europeans through events, virtual and face-to-face cultural courses, foreign language courses, and educational and commercial exhibitions. It raises funds and awareness to encourage interaction, empathy, and collaboration between locals and foreigners. Initially focused on providing access to courses, workshops, and events in the arts, it now seeks to inspire like-minded people working in these areas in Europe and Mexico.
The entity collaborates with local and European specialists, organizations, and communities. It has signed agreements with renowned educational institutions, and has created spaces for dialogue between Mexican and European commercial companies through links with European embassies. The goal is to work towards greater international empathy and create a truly interconnected world.
In an exclusive interview for Atención, Eduardo Adame Goddard, president of Casa Europa México, spoke about the organization’s activities in this cultural space, located on Calle San Francisco 23, in the historic center of San Miguel de Allende.
Adame stressed that the objective of Casa Europa is to spread European culture in SMA and Mexico, as well as national culture for Europeans. Every month, special events are dedicated to a European country. In May it is Austria. This country has brought culture to the world and has strong links with Mexico. In a curious coincidence, Emperor Maximilian of Habsburg once spent a night in what is now Casa Europa in SMA (the exact date is unknown).
Adame said that during the month of May Casa Europa is hosting two major exhibitions by two outstanding artists. One is the symbolist painter, Gustav Klimt, whose early work was characterized by an eclectic style with a focus on historical themes. Later, Klimt was a protagonist of the Modernism movement, which made him famous. Modernism developed in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1900, Klimt began to experiment with gold leaf. Among his best-known works today are “The Kiss” (1907-1908) and “Judith and the Head of Holofernes” (1901). The main themes in his paintings are sexuality, love, and death. His art work has traveled to San Miguel to be exhibit at Casa Europa.
The second Austrian artist to be honored with a biographical exhibition is the composer Franz Joseph Haydn, better known as Joseph Haydn. He is one of the greatest representatives of the classical period of music. Thanks to his important contributions, Haydn is known as the father of both the symphony and of the string quartet. He also contributed to the instrumental development of the piano trio and the evolution of the sonata form. He spent his life in Austria and spent much of his career as a court musician for the wealthy and aristocratic Esterházy family of Hungary. The president of Casa Europa México highlighted that these exhibitions have a special bond with the founding president of Casa Europa México. A teacher, María Margaretha Abel was a descendant of Joseph Haydn, which inspired highlighting him this month. Adame added that the Austrian ambassador will visit the city on June 2, and a tribute will be held in which a group from Celaya will perform Haydn’s and Mexican music. For Adame, there is no better way to celebrate the brotherhood of these two countries.
Referring to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Adame commented on the importance of celebrating this type of event in a time of war. For him, all these cultural events seek to show solidarity with a European country that is in a very difficult situation and that is bravely facing it. “We could not do less than think about how to contribute our grain of sand in favor of this country,” said Adame, talking about the music recital held last month by Casa Europa to raise funds for Ukraine. For that event the cultural attaché of Ukraine, Vlad Branashko, was present.
Adame explained that these events are a celebration of what Europe represents: a large and very united continent. He explained that the European Union is almost like a diverse country with a variety of languages and different customs, but all working together.
In August, Germany will be the honored country at Casa Europa México. That exhibition will also have a representation of work by local artists to promote Mexican culture. Further in August, the first San Miguel Arts Festival will take place. The plan is for this to be an annual event. Different cultural organizations of the heritage city will participate. The current plan is for the festival to run for 10 days with 60 different activities. This will be a first for SMA.
You can register to receive events information at www.casaeuropamexico.mx
