Art project “The East of the West”
Discover the world of the Usien and support their campaign for a free and united Europe!
Introducing the Usien
You’re probably asking yourself: “Usien? I’ve never heard of that. What’s that supposed to be?”
It’s best to let the Usien themselves tell the story.
Dear Usien, who are you?
We Usien are figures from the visual world of artist Stefan Budian and are campaigning for a united Europe. Our name comes from ancient Greek and means something like “the essence of things” or “their soul”.
We have been travelling through your Europe for many years and have found many things that we love. These include your best deeds and dreams. One particularly beautiful dream is the vision of a free, united Europe. That’s why we want to support what Europe could be.
Why is a united Europe important to you?
We Usien believe that Europe must remember its vision again in order not to lose itself (even further) in the current upheavals. Because Europe is in the process of abolishing itself in conflict and lethargy. But if people in Europe get to know each other better, examine their mutual stereotypes and meet each other with an open mind, then Europe can succeed in realising itself and finding its way back to the strength of its original idea. Our aim is therefore to contribute to raising awareness of European civil society.
This website, the drawings and exhibitions of our obstetrician Stefan Budian are intended to show a way forward.
Do you need support?
Yes, because a campaign can only be successful if many people participate and make small or large contributions. That’s why you can support the art project “The East of the West” by buying the book, purchasing drawings, providing other financial support, or sharing the campaign favorably on social networks.
Where do you come from?
We come from a timeless, genderless world that lies before concepts. 29 years ago, freelance artist Stefan Budian brought us into this world so that we could explore it.
He takes us on discovery journeys (e.g., Poland, Hungary, Albania) and shows us the European countries from the inside. Because a country and the characteristics of its people always appear different when viewed from the inside than from the outside.
In the art project “The East of the West,” Stefan Budian collects his impressions, observations, and experiences, encourages people to engage with and reflect on Europe, and creates a free, creative space for European civil society.
Who is Stefan Budian?
Stefan Budian is a freelance artist (born 1965) and lives in Mainz, Germany. We Usien have been figures in his visual world since 1996. His artistic work seemed too empty to him without a consciousness looking back at him from his pictorial world.
For him, art is a method of gaining knowledge. “Because with art, we reach into the void, searching for and paving the way to a future. Seeing and pointing out these paths – that is where the knowledge gained through art lies”.
And why is he doing a social art project?
Let’s let Stefan Budian speak for himself: “Our liberal European society guarantees us individual freedom. The state institutions create a protected space where we can live our freedom – that is the task of the constitutional state. A constitutional state must be strong to protect the rights of individuals against the state. The space of freedom must not remain empty; otherwise, it threatens to collapse or become overgrown by arbitrariness. We must fill the space of freedom with our wishes, desires, participation, and dignity.
In today’s Europe, this happens too little; we take our freedom for granted or sometimes even consider it a nuisance. With the Usien, I am trying to change this by celebrating freedom in Europe and making it visible. The Usien can show the visionary Europe because, for me, the Usien symbolise freedom itself.”