The network’s European projects

Cooperation and commitment to the preservation and promotion of the Art Nouveau heritage are the pillars of the network’s actions. Our primary mission is to inform professionals and raise public awareness of the cultural importance and European dimension of the Art Nouveau heritage. The protection of this common heritage has been recognized by the European Commission, which has co-financed five European projects.

Launch phase

1999 > 2000

The publication of the catalogue « Art Nouveau in Europe today – A general appraisal » marks the start of the activities of the network. Made possible by an initial project financed by the European Union, the catalogue provided the framework for the network’s mission, established its visual identity, created an initial photographic archive and delved into the first cooperation initiatives.

Partner cities: Ålesund, Barcelona, Bruxelles-Brussel, Budapest, Glasgow, Helsinki, Ljubljana, Nancy, Palermo, Reus, Riga, Terrassa, Wien and Ecole d’Avignon as technical partner.

Art Nouveau in Progress

2001 > 2004

The flagship activities undertaken during this phase included the exhibition « Art Nouveau in Progress » and its catalogue, as well as the international conferences held in Vienna (October 2002) and Ålesund (October 2004), which provided a valuable opportunity for participants to exchange and compare ideas, share good practices and imagine the future for the conservation and promotion of the Art Nouveau heritage. Between 2003 and 2004, an awareness-raising campaign for young people was launched with four publications, a series of posters, guided tours for schools and a popular handbook for interactive visits, all of which are available on this website.

Partner cities: Ålesund, Barcelona, Bruxelles-Brussel, Glasgow, Helsinki, Ljubljana, Nancy, Provincia di Varese, Reus, Riga, Terrassa, Wien and Ecole d’Avignon as technical partner.

Art Nouveau & Society

2005 > 2008

Under the title ‘Art Nouveau & Society’, the Network developed a multi-year programme of actions to be implemented under three structures: Innovation Workshops, Historical Workshops and Exchange Platforms. The video « Art Nouveau & Society » examines European Art Nouveau and its social, political and economic context, establishing, as a result, connections between cities of the past and present.

Partner cities: Ålesund, Barcelona, Bruxelles-Brussel, Bad Nauheim, Glasgow, Helsinki, La Chaux-de-Fonds, La Habana Vieja, Ljubljana, Lodz, Nancy, Provincia di Varese, Regione Lombardia, Reus, Riga, Tbilisi, Terrassa, Wien and Ecole d’Avignon as technical partner.

Art Nouveau & Ecology

2010 > 2015

Through this new five-year project, the Réseau Art Nouveau Network seeked to continue its activities and enhance the European public’s awareness of contemporary themes: the centrality of nature in Art Nouveau, the origin and specificities of building materials, and the impact of weathering on Art Nouveau buildings. The travelling exhibition ‘The Nature of Art Nouveau’ encouraged the public to observe Art Nouveau materials in their various stages of manufacture, from the raw state to the piece of art. As part of the project, RANN also celebrated its first decade of activity, the milestone being marked by the international conference ‘Perception of Art Nouveau’, held in Brussels on 4 and 5 December 2010.

Partner cities: Direction of Monuments and Sites of the Brussels-Capital Region (BE), Ålesund (NO), Aveiro (PT), Bad Nauheim (DE), Barcelona (ES), Bruxelles-Brussel (BE), Helsinki (FI), Ljubljana (SL), Nancy (FR), Regione Lombardia (IT), Rīga (LV), Terrassa (ES), Glasgow (UK), La Chaux-de-Fonds (CH), La Habana Vieja (CU).

Art Nouveau as a New Eutopia

Currently
Launch phase

The publication of the catalogue “Art Nouveau in Europe Today – A General Appraisal” marks the beginning of the network’s activities. Made possible by an initial project funded by the European Union, the catalogue provided the framework for the network’s mission, established its visual identity, created an initial photographic archive, and explored the first cooperation initiatives.

Partner cities:

Ålesund, Barcelona, Brussels, Budapest, Glasgow, Helsinki, Ljubljana, Nancy, Palermo, Reus, Riga, Terrassa, Vienna and École d’Avignon as technical partner.

1999 > 2000
Art Nouveau in Progress

The flagship activities undertaken during this phase included the exhibition “Art Nouveau in Progress” and its catalogue, as well as the international conferences held in Vienna (October 2002) and Ålesund (October 2004). These events provided a valuable opportunity for participants to exchange and compare ideas, share good practices, and envision the future of the conservation and promotion of the Art Nouveau heritage. Between 2003 and 2004, a campaign to raise awareness among young people was launched, featuring four publications, a series of posters, guided tours for schools, and a popular handbook for interactive visits, all of which are available on this website.

Partner cities:

Ålesund, Barcelona, Brussels, Glasgow, Helsinki, Ljubljana, Nancy, the province of Varese, Reus, Riga, Terrassa, Vienna and Ecole d’Avignon as technical partner.

2001 > 2004
Art Nouveau & Society

Under the title “Art Nouveau & Society“, the Network developed a multi-year program of actions to be implemented through three structures: Innovation Workshops, Historical Workshops, and Exchange Platforms. The video “Art Nouveau & Society” examines European Art Nouveau and its social, political, and economic context, thereby establishing connections between cities of the past and present.

Partner cities:

Ålesund, Barcelona, Brussels, Bad Nauheim, Glasgow, Helsinki, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Old Havana, Ljubljana, Lodz, Nancy, the province of Varese, the Region of Lombardy, Reus, Riga, Tbilisi, Terrassa, Vienna and Ecole d’Avignon as technical partner.

2005 > 2008
Art Nouveau & Ecology

Through this new five-year project, the Réseau Art Nouveau Network sought to continue its activities and raise public awareness in Europe of contemporary themes: the centrality of nature in Art Nouveau, the origins and specific characteristics of building materials, and the impact of weathering on Art Nouveau buildings. The travelling exhibition The Nature of Art Nouveau encouraged the public to observe Art Nouveau materials at various stages of their transformation, from raw state to finished artwork. As part of the project, RANN also celebrated its first decade of activity, marking this milestone with the international conference Perception of Art Nouveau, held in Brussels on 4 and 5 December 2010.

Partner cities:

Direction of Monuments and Sites of the Brussels-Capital Region (BE), Ålesund (NO), Aveiro (PT), Bad Nauheim (DE), Barcelona (ES), Brussels (BE), Helsinki (FI), Ljubljana (SL), Nancy (FR), Region of Lombardy (IT), Rīga (LV), Terrassa (ES), Glasgow (UK), La Chaux-de-Fonds (CH), Old Havana (CU).

2010 > 2015
Art Nouveau as a New Eutopia
Currently

The « Art Nouveau as a New EUtopia » project

The ongoing project entitled Art Nouveau as a New Eutopia aims to demonstrate how the past can serve as a bridge to a more sustainable future, in line with the focal points of the European Union’s Agenda 2030. The project addresses contemporary heritage needs, encompassing environmental, educational, and social issues through the organization of international conferences, learning workshops, the development of new educational tools, and the implementation of awareness-raising activities.

Led by the Réseau Art Nouveau Network (RANN), the project brings together 12 partners :

• RANN (Belgium)
• Horta Museum (Belgium)
• Foundation Maison Léon Losseau (Belgium)
• Urban.brussels (Belgium)
• Alcoy’s City Hall (Spain)
• City Museum of Aveiro (Portugal)
• Museum of Applied Arts Budapest (Hungary)
• National Museum of Slovenia (Slovenia)
• Lviv Heritage Bureau (Ukraine)
• Museum of l’École de Nancy and Villa Majorelle (France)
• Foundation for the Protection of Historical Monuments in Bihor County – Oradea Heritage (Romania)
•Riga Art Nouveau Centre (Latvia).

Latest project news

As part of our European project ‘Art Nouveau as a New EUtopia’, we are pleased to invite you to the international symposium : Bringing Art Nouveau heritage back to life: theory and practice in restoration. From the Venice Charter to the Turin Declaration. 🎧 Simultaneous translation will be provided in

The Réseau Art Nouveau Network, a European network for the study, protection and promotion of Art Nouveau heritage, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. An important milestone that RANN intends to celebrate by organising with the collaboration of urban.brussels an international conference dedicated to the restoration of the Art Nouveau

In a global context of human disconnection from nature and questions about social inequalities in our societies and access to culture and heritage for all, Art Nouveau, as a major European architectural movement of the 20th century, offers a stimulating and fruitful perspective for rethinking the links between art, heritage

Discover the other activities of the network

The network’s activities extend beyond European projects. Throughout the year, several federative events, such as World Art Nouveau Day, bring together various cities across Europe through shared activities like exhibitions, podcasts, photo competitions, and more. The creativity and commitment of our members will never cease to amaze you!

Erika and representatives of the Aavar Alto and Le Corbusier cultural routes at the 13th annual Cultural Routes forum in Hungary