Art at the Court

European identity is born of exchanges and mutual enrichment between the different national cultures of the Member States. The Court of Justice of the European Union, a place where legal cultures interact on a daily basis, attaches particular importance to art as a vital part of European culture.

With the help of the Member States, the European Union’s judicial institution preserves a collection of works of art representative of Europe’s multicultural heritage. Those works, whether donated, deposited or loaned, reveal the unique traditions of the Member States and contribute to creating, through their diversity, a ‘European spirit’. They are varied in nature, originate from different eras and often evoke ideas of Europe, justice, harmony, cooperation and peace.

In addition to the first works - the work loaned by France in 1969 to decorate the Court’s first courtroom, and those commissioned by Luxembourg from artists representing the six founding countries to decorate the Palais, which was inaugurated in 1973 - others have been added over time. The artistic heritage preserved by the Court has evolved in line with the stages of European integration and the history of the institution itself.

The remarkable architectural setting of the buildings of the Court of Justice of the European Union is a privileged place for the display of these works of art, which come from all over Europe. For those who work in the institution and for those who come to visit its premises, being able to immerse themselves visually in the multiplicity of these works bears witness to the harmonious and plural coexistence of the different cultures of the Member States.

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