As part of the Normandy World Peace Forum and on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, the cloister of the Abbaye aux Dames is hosting the Paris Match photo exhibition event, “D-Day, the emotion of the last great tribute.” This exhibition, organized in partnership with the Normandy Region, is on view from August 26 to October 27 in the cloister of the Abbaye aux Dames in Caen.

Memory and Tribute: From D-Day Heroes to New Generations

Eighty years ago, thousands were ready to embark for France for war, glory, and death. They sacrificed themselves so that others after them could live freely. Since June 1944, every year at the same time, D-Day survivors tread the Norman lands, always shaken when they think of that year 1944. These heroes, living memories of the hell of war, fewer and fewer over time, are always driven by the need to share and transmit.

Telling new generations their own story so that History does not repeat itself. Throughout France, they are acclaimed, celebrated, admired. The cities, once in ruins, are now festive thanks to enthusiasts of reenactments who, in period costumes and equipment, relive the joy of regained freedom.

This exhibition bears witness to these precious moments experienced between veterans and young people.

A Custom-Made Photo Exhibition

Paris Match presents 20 photographs from June 2024, paying tribute to the Normandy D-Day veterans. 

Marc Brincourt, exhibition curator, Michel Maïquez, former artistic director of Paris Match, and the entire Development-Expos department team of Paris Match have created an outdoor setup to be discovered this year under the arches of the cloister of the Abbaye aux Dames in Caen. The exceptional exhibition is free to access until October 27, 2024. 

This unique photographic journey consists of 20 large-format photo prints accompanied by captions written by Paris Match journalist Émilie Cabot. The exhibition emotionally conveys the duty of remembrance for the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings.