Introduction

The notion of a common past, preserved through institutions, traditions and symbols, is a crucial instrument – perhaps the crucial instrument – in the construction of collective identities in the present (Seixas 2006, 5). This chapter considers the attempts by the European Union to foster the construction of a common European identity, focusing in particular on the controversial exhibition of 2004, The Image of Europe, by the renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and two European think tanks. Examination of the exhibition provides a welcome opportunity to analyse the relations between attempts at supranational identity formation, on the one hand, and the self-image of different nation-states, on the other. The exhibition was influenced by the attitudes of its designers towards marketing and branding, and critical attention to the reception of The Image of Europe enables us to observe attitudes towards supranational branding as a means of identity making. Koolhaas’ exhibition also throws into relief the impact of the tools and strategies of marketing and branding on the politics of heritage and identity formation in both the public sphere and among critical scholars.

The Image of Europe stemmed from the constant worry of European institutions over the negative image of the EU, and efforts to improve this image have employed a broad array of PR campaigns, printed materials, films, exhibitions and public events aimed at changing public perceptions (Thomasson-Lerulf and Kataja 2009). These essentially political projects often involved reference to European heritage in the form of popularised historical images or narratives that underpinned or justified wider policy aims (Oittinen 2008). Alongside The Image of Europe, the European Commission sponsored other enterprises, such as the project to create a Museum of Europe as part of a European network of museums that aimed to ‘put a European stamp on existing or future museological projects’ (Museum of Europe 2007a). This led to a major exhibition, It’s Our History, first staged in Brussels in 2007–8, that promoted the idea of a shared European identity and past (Museum of Europe 2007b; Merchiers 2007, 5). Upon leaving the exhibition, the visitor was greeted with this message on the wall: ‘It’s because we share a common history dating back more than 200 years that a European Union could be built in 50 years’ (Museum of Europe 2007–08).