The photographic exhibition “Nicosia International Airport” by Andros Efstathiou was inaugurated on 27 January 2026 at the European Parliament, in Brussels. It was presented alongside artworks from the Parliament’s permanent collection, “Growing Self” by Maria Leonidou.
This is the third event to be held in Brussels as part of the Cultural Programme of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026.
The exhibition, organised by the European Parliament in collaboration with the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, was inaugurated by the Quaestor of the European Parliament, Mr Marc Angel, and the Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus, Dr Vasiliki Kassianidou, at the Altiero Spinelli building of the European Parliament.
Through this photographic exhibition, Andros Efstathiou transforms the abandoned airport into a symbol of memory, endurance and hope, highlighting the power of collective historical consciousness. Adopting a theatrical approach, the photographs revive the last commercial flight before the Turkish invasion of 1974, linking material reality with collective memory and inviting viewers to engage in reflection and remembrance.
From memory to a shared future of solidarity and culture
Drawing inspiration from the past, Maria Leonidou’s “Growing Self” brings together technology and imagination and contemporary identity to create a new perspective for the future, in which art functions as an act of regeneration and transformation.
“The Cyprus Presidency seeks to strengthen the bonds of the Union by using culture as an essential tool for political cohesion, as it is the most important expression of our common European identity and the thread that holds member states together.”
In her address, Dr Kassianidou noted that the two exhibitions engage in dialogue with each other and with Europe itself, reflecting the journey from memory to displacement and from the past to the collective shaping of our shared future. The Cyprus Presidency aims to continue this dialogue by strengthening cultural cooperation and striving to protect cultural heritage. This confirms that Europe continues to draw strength from memory as it moves towards a shared future based on solidarity, democracy and culture.
The inauguration was honoured by the presence of the Cypriot Members of the European Parliament, Mr Loucas Fourlas, Mr Michalis Hadjipantela, Mr Costas Mavrides and Mr Fidias Panayiotou, as well as the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Alexis Vafeades, the Deputy Minister for European Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, Ms Marilena Raouna, the Deputy Minister of Migration and International Protection of the Republic of Cyprus, Dr Nicholas A. Ioannides, the Deputy Minister of Tourism of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Kostas Koumis, and many others.
Andros Efstathiou’s exhibition discreetly conveys the tragic events of the illegal Turkish invasion of 1974 and its consequences at the heart of the European Parliament in Brussels.
