A different kind of exhibition is touring the island this spring, with Europe at its forefront. The Cultural and Architectural Heritage of the European Union exhibition is an event organised by the French Presidency of the Council of the EU in collaboration with the EU National Institutes for Culture. Launching on May 8 at the Multifunctional Coastal Park of Molos, Limassol, this exhibition will pass through Paphos, Nicosia and Larnaca.

It will remain in Limassol until May 11 before the photos are moved to Paphos from May 12 to June 6, then to Nicosia from June 7 to 28 and finally to Larnaca from June 29 to July 7. Twenty photographs from 18 EU countries will be displayed to illustrate a wandering through time between natural or ancient heritage and modern constructions, as the images showcase the imprint of architecture.

“Men and their concerns,” say the exhibition organisers, “are at the heart of the architectural approach: architecture, however grandiose it may be, always responds to both an aesthetic desire and a practical need. Through the techniques it uses and the social and cultural characteristics, architecture visibly manifests its era. The works-monuments in question here are links between people, between times, between the arts. They contribute to give meaning to the construction of a European whole.

“This immense wealth,” they add, “although seeming to cross the centuries, is also fragile. It is faced with the issues and threats of today as it will be with the challenges of tomorrow. Europe has had a turbulent history, but it has been able to protect a large part of its heritage which still amazes us today. However, the current situation in Ukraine is the most painful evidence that cultural heritage is not a given but can be the victim of the destructive madness of men.”

This is the reason they say why the preservation of heritage in the face of dangers is essential. Since January 1, and until the end of June, the French Presidency has been carrying out a fundamental reflection on the protection of European culture and its diversity. They have taken efforts such as ways to digitise heritage and to combat the illicit trafficking of cultural property to protect common cultural spaces. The upcoming exhibition connects Europe’s horizons, as well as history, by looking at architecture through photography.

Cultural and Architectural Heritage of the European Union

Exhibition by French Presidency of the Council of the European Union in collaboration with the European Union National Institutes for Culture. May 8-11. Molos, Limassol. May 12-June 6. Paphos. June 7-28. Nicosia. June 29-July 7. Larnaca. www.ifchypre.org