House of European History in Exile, 2013

Thomas Bellinck

House of European History in Exile, 2013

Thomas Bellinck

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Project Europe will collapse under the weight of its contradictions, according to Thomas Bellinck’s House of European History in Exile. His fake museum of the future narrates the history of the European Union’s failure, examining the missteps from the early 21st century to the year 2063.

The museum resembles a collection of bureaucratic artifacts: maps, meeting protocols, and numerous information-filled monitors. Notably, there’s a replica of the EU’s 2012 Nobel Peace Prize, symbolizing an era in Europe when war seemed improbable, except for those in the Balkans. The museum also delves into the EU’s darker aspects, including the “Great Recession” that traumatized southern European countries with a wave of “crisis suicides” and the rise of neo-fascism, separatism, and nationalism. Bellinck illustrates how different countries approached these issues, all destined for failure.

The smallest museum details underscore the fine line between credibility and doubt. However, when parafiction projects venture into the future, distinguishing between fiction and faction, fantasy, and plausible analysis becomes less apparent. 

According to Thomas Bellinck’s predictions, Project Europe had to collapse in 2018. So it turns out that we live on the ruins of civilization. In Cezary Zbierzchowski’s book “Holocaust F,” an intriguing idea unfolds: What if the apocalypse had silently occurred but without our detection? 

In the realm of fakeology, The Solon Effect. serves as a cautionary reminder against hastily drawn conclusions, stressing that the ultimate truth will gradually reveal itself. Within a domain where boundless possibilities coexist, every fantasy holds an equal claim, mirroring the fluid nature of truth. As a result, we’ll only truly comprehend the consequences of the European project’s collapse in the future.

It’s a matter of current debate among contemporary intellectuals as to which dystopian vision wins now – Huxley’s or Orwell’s, with a leaning toward the second. Perhaps Orwell shouldn’t have provided a roadmap for eroding individual freedom and autonomy, as the only refuge seems to be in group narcissism and unwavering belief in one’s own version of the truth. Geopolitical and cultural contradictions are actually countless, as well as the scenarios for the future. Thomas Bellinck’s museum, radiating doom and gloom, creates the impression that history ends and restarts each day.