Travelling exhibition of the Réseau Art Nouveau Network « Art Nouveau in Progress » was totally different from, and complementary to, the great exhibitions which have so commendably celebrated Art Nouveau in recent years. It explored the destiny of the Art Nouveau heritage in the thirteen partner cities and brought to light several examples of previously unseen projects. The exhibition was set out in themed sections, offering a perspective of an artistic and cultural movement that developed simultaneously in a number of European cities.
The exhibition’s originality lied in genuinely new discoveries of city planning projects, architectural creations and art objects. Indeed, apart from the five major works chosen by the partners and illustrated in the introduction, the exhibition presented works which had never previously been seen, had disappeared, had not been recognized or were undergoing restoration. All were shown in the themed sections: “vision”, “disappearance”, “continuity” and “regeneration”. The exhibition tour therefore presented visitors with a history of the Art Nouveau heritage, from the process of its creation to its current functions, via the recollection of lost works.
The exhibition was to be presented in turn in each of the thirteen European cities over a period of about three years. At each stage the exhibition was completed by a local section, which focused particularly on the distinctive features of that city’s Art Nouveau heritage.