Art and photography for the European Heritage Days
Art
On Sunday, October 4, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation welcomed nearly a hundred people to Villa Girasole for its fifth participation in the Principality’s European Heritage Days.
Echoing the 2026 theme "Heritage at Risk: Revive, Resist, Reinvent", the Foundation sought to highlight its work in polar regions through the focus area "Polar Regions at Risk: Protect, Conserve, Perpetuate." In addition to the lectures led by Scientific Director Philippe Mondielli and Salomé Mormentyn, head of the Foundation’s Polar Initiative, the program featured two artistic highlights.
Photographs by John Weller, drawn from his exhibition "Peace Through Science," have been installed in various rooms of the villa. Serving as a plea for the protection of Antarctica, the climate, and the ocean, John Weller’s work offers an immersive, educational, and inspiring narrative. Developed in close collaboration with leading Antarctic scientists, the exhibition reflects his 21 years of experience in science communication regarding the continent.
Visitors also had the opportunity to view works by artist and environmentalist Meg O’Hara, who took part in a research expedition along the west coast of Greenland (Arctic Ocean) aboard a sailboat, in partnership with 11th Hour Racing. This experience gave rise to "69° North – Greenland," a series of paintings capturing landscapes of snow, ice, and freezing waters.
As a delightful surprise for visitors, the artist was present to discuss her work and engage with them.
Her art seeks to interpret this ever-changing environment through brushstrokes that celebrate nature’s subtle creativity – and, at times, its imperfections. Each canvas is sketched from life, capturing light, texture, and atmosphere with spontaneity and sensitivity. Drawing inspiration from the movement of water against ice or the play of light on glaciers, Meg O’Hara follows in the tradition of painters who explore nature through abstraction, notably drawing specific inspiration from the famous seascapes of J.M.W. Turner.
