German photographer Thomas Struth receives Helena Vaz da Silva European Award for Raising Awareness on Cultural Heritage 2024 in Lisbon

The German photographer Thomas Struth received the Helena Vaz da Silva European Award for Raising Public Awareness on Cultural Heritage 2024 at a ceremony held on 21 October at the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, Portugal. On this occasion, a Special Recognition of the Jury of the Award was granted to the Cypriot dancer Ioanna Avraam, Principal Ballet Dancer at the Vienna State Ballet. In their acceptance speeches, both Thomas Struth and Ioanna Avraam highlighted the power of culture and the arts to “unite the world”.

High-level representatives of the partners and supporters of the Award – namely Centro Nacional de Cultura, Europa Nostra and the Portuguese Press Club, the Ministry of Culture of Portugal, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and Tourism of Portugal – participated in the ceremony, which was attended by some 200 people, both in person and online.

The Helena Vaz da Silva European Award 2024 pays tribute to Thomas Struth’s exceptional art of communicating European culture and values through photography. “Thomas Struth’s work embodies what is essential in heritage: it portrays people, cities, museums, environments and technologies; it comes as a revelation to many people. If a picture is worth a thousand words, Thomas Struth ‘wrote’ monumental pieces of works, which show and promote the passion for heritage, both European and universal,” noted the Jury of the Award.

The President of the Gulbenkian Foundation, Professor António Feijó, made the laudatory speech for Thomas Struth. He spotlighted Struth’s Museum Photographs series, monumental colour images of people admiring iconic works of art in museums. These large-scale photos, which are characterised by exuberant colours and extreme attention to detail, have a mesmerising effect. Some photos are contemplative, such as Kunsthistorisches Museum 3, Vienna (1989), which shows a man inspecting Rembrandt’s Portrait of a Man. Other photographs in the series are crowds of people trying to get a glimpse of the work of art, as in Stanze di Raffaello 2 (1990), taken at the Vatican in the fresco rooms painted by Italian Renaissance master Raphael.

In his acceptance speech, Thomas Struth stated: “The museum as an opportunity to locate oneself in history; the influence of the collective unconscious on architecture; the relationships within the nuclear family; the promises of technological development; and the belief in progress are all themes that have preoccupied me throughout the different stages of my work over the last 50 years – and still do.”

The German photographer spoke about his personal and professional life, and recalled his first positive experience as a European citizen: “In March 1972, the first Interrail ticket was issued by the European Railway Association. I was 17-years-old and took the chance. Four friends and I travelled from Cologne to Amsterdam, Paris, Lyon, Venice, Trieste, Belgrade and Athens. We travelled from one country to another without fear. Europe became literally our living room”. Thomas Struth concluded: “Let us always remember the foundation of both the United Nations and the European Union: to help us live in peaceful coexistence. The cultural differences should not be ignored, they are part of the joy of living on this planet, and we do not have another one”.

The Jury of the Award also granted a Special Recognition to the Cypriot ballet dancer Ioanna Avraam. “Through her art, Ioanna Avraam has contributed to the promotion of Europe’s intangible cultural heritage, promoting values such as freedom, equality and respect for diversity,” noted the Jury.

Androulla Vassiliou, Vice-President of Europa Nostra from Cyprus, delivered the laudatory speech for the Cypriot ballet dancer: “Ioanna Avraam has been a tremendous Ambassadress for her homeland, Cyprus, her adopted country, Austria, and its Vienna State Opera, and for Europe in general, wherever she has been and wherever she has performed. Both through her work and her talent, she has set a prime example to be followed”.

In her eloquent acceptance speech, Ioanna Avraam, stated: “One of my dreams is to dance in Famagusta, at the ancient theatre of Salamis, in a free and reunited Cyprus without foreign troops and military bases, where our people – Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Armenians, Latins, and Maronites – will live in peace and happiness. I envision my country as a bridge of peace that connects Europe with the peoples of Asia and Africa (…) A great Greek poet, Yannis Ritsos, wrote in a poem that became a song: ‘We, my brother, sing to unite the world.’ We will also continue to dance to unite the world.”

The Portuguese Secretary of State for Culture, Maria de Lurdes Craveiro, congratulated both Thomas Struth and Ioanna Avraam on the well-deserved Award and Special Recognition respectively.

The Secretary General of Europa Nostra, Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, who acted as master of ceremonies, emphasised the outstanding contributions of both Thomas Struth and Ioanna Avraam to the promotion of Europe’s shared cultural heritage and values. “In today’s extremely challenging times, Europe and the world need forceful champions of these values who honour and pursue the legacy of Helena Vaz da Silva”, she stated.

The President of the Centro Nacional de Cultura and President of the Jury of the Award, Maria Calado, paid homage to Helena Vaz da Silva (1939-2002), Portuguese journalist, writer, cultural activist and Member of the European Parliament, for her work promoting “culture as a driver of development, freedom, creation and citizenship”.

Guilherme d’Oliveira Martins, Trustee of the Gulbenkian Foundation, in his capacity as Member of the Jury, thanked all the winners of the Helena Vaz da Silva Award – from the German photographer Thomas Struth to the Italian writer Claudio Magris, who won the first edition of the Award in 2013 – “for making cultural heritage a living reality”.

The ceremony concluded with the broadcasting of an audio congratulatory message from the President of the Republic of Portugal, H. E. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.