Belgium
NEWTOPIA: The State of Human Rights was a major international contemporary art exhibition dedicated to human rights. More than sixty years after the Declaration of Human Rights, the protection of human rights is still an urgent global issue. NEWTOPIA charted the development of the human rights movement and its evolving discourse since the post-war era, and explored the numerous, complex, and multi-faceted issues pertaining to human rights. The exhibition was divided into several thematic chapters that trace the development of human rights and their rise, particularly since the 1970s. It negotiated the different and complex facets of human rights: from civil and political rights, social, economic and cultural rights, to the right to sustainable development, to peace, and to a healthy environment, while emphasizing the indivisible, interrelated, and interdependent nature of these rights.
NEWTOPIA was on view in Mechelen, Belgium, from 1 September to 10 December 2012, and featured a satellite exhibition in Brussels. NEWTOPIA was curated by Katerina Gregos.