Strasbourg blends new, ancient art to mark European Heritage celebrations

For this year's annual European Heritage Days, Strasbourg has revealed two new stained glass windows in its cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Opened to the public on Saturday, the two windows combine modern techniques and the ancient art form of stained glass.

"No progress has been made in the world of art without controversy," declared Strasbourg Mayor Roland Reis during the inauguration of the new stained glass windows.

The Mayor affirmed that it was controversial to "bring together ancient and modern art "in the Strasbourg Cathedral which this month celebrated the millenary anniversary of the laying of its foundations. For Mayor Reis, however, controversy was a positive sign of the success of the public project.

"There is no creation without audacity," the Mayor insisted, while congratulating the French artists, Veronique Ellena and Pierre-Alain Parot, who created the new windows.

Ellena, who works primarily in photography, won a public competition launched by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication as part of the cathedral's anniversary celebrations for the design of new stained glass windows.

Ellena worked with French master glass-maker Parot to combine photographic images with stained glass in order to fill two bays in the cathedral which had previously contained plain glass windows.

"I thank you to have had the courage to bring modern art and photography into this cathedral for its millenary anniversary," declared Ellena at the inauguration.

Members of the public have begun visiting the new windows as countries across Europe observe the annual European Heritage Days celebrations, this year taking place on Sept. 19 and 20.

Inaugurated in 1985, European Heritage Days have since 1999 been organized as a joint initiative of the European Commission and the Council of Europe.

During the events, the 50 states that have signed the European Cultural Convention put new cultural materials on view and open up historical buildings normally closed to the public. The cultural events highlight local traditions, architecture and works of art with the aim of promoting mutual understanding among European citizens.

According to the French Culture Ministry, 17,000 sites have been opened to the public across France and its territories. A number of 1,100 openings specifically linked to European themes are also planned, along with 26,000 additional events. Endit