No Culture, No Europe 

 In his last book ‘No Culture, No Europe. On the Foundations of Politics’ (2014) Pascal Gielen analyses theoretical models and provides straightforward examples that clarify the central proposition of this work: culture is the basic source to give meaning and form to societies. Culture is the essential, binding fabric of investigating and assessing identity, human activities and political awareness, enabling us to act politically. The European project will never succeed if it does not recognize culture as its main raison d’être. 

Pascal Gielen is director of the Research Center Arts in Society at Groningen University where he is professor sociology of art. He leads also the research group and book series ‘Arts in Society’ (Fontys School for Fine and Performing Arts, Tilburg).  Gielen has written several books on contemporary art, cultural heritage and cultural politics.