"Economy and culture are by no means in conflict with each other - with these words the numerous invited guests were welcomed by Uwe Abel, Chairman of the Mainzer Volksbank. The thematic background of the event was the year of the Council Presidency of Latvia. "We are proud that in the year of the Presidency of Latvia we were able to have 'Mr. Europe' Udo van Kampen as speaker for our event and curators Utz Heinzelmann and Anna Sausverde-Ellger of Art Promotion02 for the exhibition of an exciting selection of Latvian artworks put together. With 200 events taking place throughout Europe during the Presidency of the Council, it is a great honor that the exhibition now brings part of the Latvian cultural programme to the MVB premises."

Udo van Kampen commented on the currently tense situation in Europe in his vivid lecture on "Europe - The New Reality between East and West": "At the moment we are facing a ordeal that the EU and those responsible for politics have to endure to get the European agreement!"

Text: Nina Senft
Mainzer Volksbank