Come With Us! – Democratic Transformations in Central and Eastern Europe after 1989 returns to London on 16 February, reopening at Europe House’s 12 Star Gallery and running until early May.
Conceived to evoke the atmosphere of streets and public spaces across Central and Eastern Europe, the exhibition traces the democratic transformations that followed the 1989 revolutions through a powerful selection of political posters and iconic visual material. Beginning with the first free elections of the early 1990s, it offers a compelling visual narrative of societies reclaiming political voice after decades of enforced silence.
Bringing together contributions from twelve countries — Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia — the exhibition explores themes of mass mobilisation, the reinterpretation of the past and collective aspirations for a democratic future. Few artistic forms captured the urgency and optimism of this period as directly as street posters, which became an accessible and immediate medium for political expression at a decisive historical moment.
Presented by the European Parliament Liaison Office in the United Kingdom and the Liszt Institute – Hungarian Cultural Centre London, with the support of EUNIC London and its member institutions, Come With Us! stands as a tribute to the achievements of democratic transformation — and a timely reflection on what remains at stake today.
The exhibition is open on weekdays, 10.00–18.00 GMT, at Europe House, 12 Star Gallery, 32 Smith Square, London SW1P 3EU.