- Published: 07.02.2006.
'Lighthouses of Croatia' Exhibition Opens at European Commission
Croatia's Deputy Prime Minister, Damir Polančec, along with Joe Borg, European Commissioner responsible for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, opened the exhibition 'Lighthouses of Croatia' in the Berlaymont building today on 7 February at 18:00.
The photographic exhibition is presented by Croatia's Ministry of the Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development and the Mission of Croatia to the European Union, in cooperation with the European Commission and Plovput-Split, the Croatian Lighthouse Authority. The photographs will remain on display on the First Floor, Central Hall and Press Area of the Berlaymont through 3 March.
Opening remarks at the formal inauguration of the exhibition wiere made by Commissioner Borg, Deputy Prime Minister Polančec and Croatia's Ambassador to the European Union, Branko Baričević,. During the opening reception, the Croatian all male a cappella ensemble 'Kumpanji' will perform traditional Croatian 'klapa' songs from Dalmatia and their native island of Korčula. Over 200 guests from the diplomatic corps, European Union institutions and international media in Brussels took part in the inaugural reception, including Commissioners Borg, Barrot, Rehn and Potočnik.
The exhibit coincides with the implementation of Croatia's EU Pre-Accession Maritime Transport Strategy and Croatia's upcoming EU negotiations in fisheries. According to Deputy Prime Minister Polančec, 'Croatia is gifted with more than one thousand islands and over six thousand kilometres of amazing Adriatic coastline. Preserving Croatia's natural harmony and wealth – protecting our Adriatic environment – is important not only for Croatia's citizens and future generations, but for all our visitors and the people of the European Union.'
This unique artistic expression of Croatia's maritime heritage and culture consists of 78 photographs, taken by artists from Croatia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway and Slovenia, which capture the beauty and clarity of Croatia's Adriatic Sea, the architecture of Croatia's romantic lighthouses, and the landscapes of a country of more than 1,000 islands and over 6,000 kilometres of coastline. The photographic images of 48 lighthouses in Croatia include Stipe Surac's 'Lighthouse Porer,' first prize winner in the 13th International Agfanet Photo Award competition in the category 'Night Shots,' and Andrej Crcek's 'Lighthouse Stončica,' featured in the September 2004 Croatian edition of National Geographic.
'Lighthouses of Croatia' has been presented in several Croatian cities, including Zagreb and the port towns of Split and Rijeka, and has also travelled to San Sebastian, Padova and Budapest. After Brussels, the exhibition will be mounted in Dubrovnik, Vienna and Lyon. The Brussels exhibit has been specifically designed for the Berlaymont spaces and is symbolically significant for Croatia and its negotiating partners in the European Commission. 'Just as our lighthouses act as beacons to those crossing our Adriatic, we hope that 'Lighthouses of Croatia' in Berlaymont will be an inspiration to Croatia and our friends at the Commission, as we move closer to the European Union,' remarked Božidar Kalmeta, Croatia's Minister of the Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development, from Zagreb.
The Croatian Government will donate many of the photographs of 'Lighthouses of Croatia' on display in Berlaymont to the European Commission.
