The President of Lithuania noted that the exhibition was a very symbolic expression of the common mission of Vilnius and Linz of representing the European Capital of Culture.
President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus and President of the Republic of Austria Heinz Fischer participated in the official opening ceremony of the international fine art exhibition ‘Yearning for Nature. European Landscapes’ arranged as part of the national programme ‘Vilnius – European Capital of Culture 2009’.
“The exhibition opened today speaks to us in the universal language of art as the beauty of nature and landscapes moves every heart. Looking at these pieces of art, we can see how many unique and exceptional corners of nature exist in Europe and how many artistic expressions can be used to reveal the universal canons of beauty. I see this exhibition as a unique opportunity to dip into the European history of art as well. We can see the way the perception of the world, and the means and techniques of artistic expression have been changing in different regions over time,” President Adamkus said addressing to the viewers of the exhibition.
The President of Lithuania noted that the exhibition was a very symbolic expression of the common mission of Vilnius and Linz of representing the European Capital of Culture. President Adamkus highly welcomed the idea not to be limited to showing the treasures of our own culture to Europe and the remaining world but also to display the beauty of the whole multicultural and diverse European heritage.
The President thanked the organisers of the exhibition: the National Museum of Art and the Upper Austria’s museum, and to all those who have contributed to this project.
“I hope this exhibition to be moved from Lithuania to Austria this coming summer will bring joy to the eyes and hearts of the local people and visitors of Linz. I have no doubt the exhibition will enrich us all and contribute to preserving the valuable European cultural heritage,” President Adamkus said.
The international fine art exhibition ‘Yearning for Nature. European Landscapes’ is a joint project of Lithuania’s and Upper Austria’s art museums launched in 2004. The towns of Vilnius and Linz agreed to exchange valuable exhibitions and to organise a joint exhibition of European landscapes in Vilnius and Linz. The exhibition exposes unique works by 138 famous artists, featuring European landscapes from the Adriatic Sea to the North Sea and from the British Isles to the Caucasus Mountains.