UNITED STAR OF EUROPE
The UNITED STAR OF EUROPE is the result of an EU-wide art project that I launched on social media on 29 December 2022. My idea was to create a star based on the European flag, using yellow plastic litter from all 27 Member States of the European Union.
To make this happen, I contacted litter collectors and artists and asked them to send yellow plastic litter they had collected outdoors, along with photos and a text about themselves and their environmental activities. Over the following months, I gradually brought together participants from all EU Member States. By 9 April 2024, I had achieved my goal: 61 individuals and groups had sent yellow plastic litter from all 27 countries.
Using this material, I created the 150 × 150 cm UNITED STAR OF EUROPE, incorporating pieces of plastic litter from every single Member State. The artwork was completed on 27 August 2024.
The Star draws attention to the problem of plastic pollution while also serving as a shining symbol of the people across the EU who actively work to keep the environment clean.
THE PARTICIPANTS
More information about the 61 project participants and groups from all 27 EU Member States can be found via the respective country links.
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.
EXHIBITIONS AND AWARDS
Special exhibition “The UNITED STAR OF EUROPE – How Europe Tackles Waste”, 10 September to 8 October 2026
From 10 September to 8 October 2026, the UNITED STAR OF EUROPE was exhibited at Europa Experience in the European House in Berlin. The opening featured a moderated discussion with TrashmaidBerlin and Member of the European Parliament Oliver Schenk.
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Group Exhibition Democracy and Climate , April–May 2026
The UNITED STAR OF EUROPE was selected by a jury through an international open call for the exhibition Democracy and Climate A total of 16 works were included.
The exhibition was presented by Group Global 3000, an artist-run, non-commercial project space for sustainable art in Berlin-Kreuzberg, dedicated to ecological and social issues in contemporary art.
Democracy and Climate explored the relationship between democratic participation and effective climate action, asking how societies can respond to the climate crisis through collective responsibility, informed dialogue, and long-term thinking. The exhibition brought together international artistic perspectives that connect environmental awareness with civic engagement and invited visitors to reflect on their own role within these processes.
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Shortlisted for THE SOCIAL ART AWARD 2025
More than 920 works from around the world were submitted for the Social Art Award 2025 – Planetary Healing: Blue Tribes for Ocean Health. Ten of them were nominated for the award by the jury. The UNITED STAR OF EUROPE was among the final top 10 nominees selected by the jury.
Jury-Feedback
„As one of the Top 10 shortlisted finalists, your work stood out for its originality, symbolic strength, and the commitment to uniting voices across all 27 EU member states. [...]
The Jury appreciated:
- A strong concept and visual metaphor using yellow plastic EU stars to express urgency and unity
- Impressive activation of a trans-European grassroots network
- Clear alignment with the Social Art Award theme through focus on plastic pollution and collective care."
Social Art Award 2025 Jury Coordination Team
THE SOCIAL ART AWARD BOOK 2025
The Star is featured in The Social Art Award Book 2025, which presents the 100 selected projects chosen by the jury.
Free download
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Solo Exhibition TRASH MY WAY
The star was shown to the public for the first time from October 10 to November 28, 2024, at the Federal Environment Agency in Dessau as part of the solo exhibition TRASH MY WAY.
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