The Euroregion Derailed? is an exhibition that examines cross-border urbanization in the Meuse Valley between Liège and Maastricht. Various works explore the role that rail can play in these developments.
The impetus for the exhibition is the partial failure of the new tri-national train between Aachen, Liège, and Maastricht. While the Dutch-German connection has commenced, the connection between the Netherlands and Belgium is delayed indefinitely. What does this delay signify? Are they simply technical issues or an indication of deeper structural political disagreements? And what if the connection never materializes?
In our globalized world economy, infrastructural networks are becoming increasingly relevant. Urbanization is increasingly driven by international connections of mobility and logistics. Whereas cities were once defined by clear boundaries and sometimes even walls, agglomerations increasingly define our living environment. Unlike cities, agglomerations do not seem intentional but are retrospectively recorded as a fait accompli. Agglomerations thus appear to be the result of countless uncoordinated projects that seemingly haphazardly fill the remaining open spaces between our cities.
Can Liège and Maastricht form a more conscious and ambitious urban region? Can we create a coherent vision that prioritizes efficient mobility, smart urban growth, sustainable energy, and the protection of ecological structures? If so, isn’t the rail connection between Liège and Maastricht a crucial instrument of such a shared vision?
The exhibition presents perspectives on these questions with works by: students of the Academy of Architecture in Maastricht, Future Urban Regions, the College of Government Advisors, Rademacher / de Vries Architects, Derk Zylker, Sven Jansen, Urbagora. The exhibition is curated by Rademacher / de Vries, Future Urban Regions, and Bureau Europa.