An exhibition will soon open in Aberystwyth that focuses on a war that never happened.

The War That Never Came will go on display at Aberystwyth University’s School of Art at the end of the month.

It has been put together by university student, Alex Gilbey.

The Cold War – the state of heightened international tension between 1946 and 1991 – was an era that left a permanent mark on the world around us. However, while conflicts such as the First and Second World Wars are well remembered and frequently depicted in arts and culture, the same attention is not always paid to the Cold War – the war that never broke out.

Local photographer Alex Gilbey was struck by this when he came to choose an area of PHD research. Working from Aberystwyth University’s School of Art he has spent the last two years using period appropriate cameras and techniques to document the remnants of the Cold War era, from preserved warplanes to abandoned bunkers.

The resulting exhibition, titled The War That Never Came, will open at the School of Art on Monday, 27 January.

Alex credits a lifelong love of history and the influence of his grandfathers (both of whom served in the RAF) for his interest in the topic, along with a desire to bring attention to an overlooked historic era which is becoming increasingly relevant today.

Speaking to the Cambrian News about this exhibition, Alex said: “It’s been an adjustment.

“Before I started this project I’d photographed protests, sports, theatre – but I’d never tried to photograph something that had never happened.”

The War That Never Came opens on Monday, 27 January and will run until Friday, 28 February.

The School of Art, situated in the town, on Buarth Mawr, is open on weekdays from 10am until 5pm.