House of European History - Postcolonial?

As part of our ongoing maintenance contract, the House of European History entrusted Meyvaert with the design and build of Postcolonial?, a temporary exhibition exploring Europe’s colonial legacy and its continued impact on the present. Starting with the structural foundations of European colonialism, the exhibition follows the ways in which European powers preserved influence as their empires collapsed, and how this affected newly independent countries. It invites visitors to reflect on how colonial history still shapes life today.

Meyvaert was responsible for the production and project management of the fit-out, graphics, object mountings, audiovisual elements and manual interactives. A key challenge lay in the extensive integration between fit-out and graphic production, while reusing existing showcases and AV equipment from previous exhibitions (such as "Bellum et Artes" and "Presence of the Past"). The large number of objects and graphic elements required close follow-up across all project stages, as well as careful coordination between stakeholders, departments and specialists.

The works were carried out under strict site conditions. Only three hours per day were available for noisy installation activities. At the same time, several teams were operating in the same space, making correct sequencing essential. Meyvaert maintained control of the planning through close coordination and continuous follow-up, ensuring that the project remained aligned with both the budget and the installation schedule.

The final exhibition is now open and has been acknowledged by the client as a strong example of Meyvaert’s capacity to adapt to the specific demands of each project. By combining reused showcases and AV equipment with newly produced fit-out, graphics, object mounts and interactive elements, the project continued the circular approach developed in earlier temporary exhibitions at the House of European History. The use of different types of printed fabrics as fit-out claddings also introduced a distinctive production approach within the exhibition design.