Preservation of the natural resources of one of the largest European rivers, as well as nurturing the cultural heritage of the Danube region, through almost 160 artistic events, form the backbone of the new programme arch of the European Capital of Culture – The Danube Sea. Over 620 artists will support this idea over the course of the next month in Novi Sad.
In this way, the European Capital of Culture is building a new bridge between art and ecology. The programme begins at the oldest and most famous Novi Sad beach, Štrand, which is considered one of the oldest public beaches along the entire course of the second largest river in Europe. From 22 to 31 July, the ‘Pavilion on the Štrand’ will be a meeting place where the important issue of ecological awakening will be openly discussed, through ecological and artistic interventions, performances and engaged works.
The opening of the ‘Pavilion on Štrand’ on 22 July will be marked by the performance ‘Les Voyages’ of the world-famous French circus troupe Compagnie XY, which will defy the laws of gravity by creating an unforgettable flight over The Danube Sea. With the unusual performance for the piano, ‘The Seam’, seven sewing machines and a DJ will interpret the course of the Danube in a multidisciplinary manner, through contemporary and classical music, costumes, lights, and colours. The multidisciplinary event ‘Becoming an Island’ by The Danube Transformation Agency for Agency combines visual art, design, and science as an advocacy for the future of the Danube. The audience will also be able to experience ‘Ecotopias’, an ambient spatial installation designed as a tactile and sensory experience.
The young talented Macedonian singer Dina Jašari will be in charge of the music programme of the ‘Pavilion on Štrand’. Concerts by the Youth Danube Big Band and the Summer Jazz Academy Session, as well as a performance of Nenad Vasilić with the jazz ensemble Bass&Strings, will enhance the ‘Pavilion’ and the unusual jazz experience on the Danube. Likewise, an improvised concert called ‘DAY#6: EVACUATION’ that combines sounds of machines, instruments made from waste, and voices, will be organised within the project ‘(Non)Working Hours: Tuning the Sustainable Community’. In cooperation with the Terminal Music&Arts Festival from Sombor, Nadav Dagon, a famous drummer and producer of EDM, is coming to Novi Sad, where he will create an endless playground on Štrand, filled with deep sounds and bass.
The Danube can also be seen as a metaphor for the contemporary creativity of authors from the countries along the Danube, so the ‘Outside the Centre’ exhibition brings contemporary artistic practices to Sremski Karlovci, Sremska Kamenica, Irig, Čerević, Banoštor, and Novi Rakovac. Decentralised cultural content that thematises the heritage of the Danube region is reflected in projects such as ‘Open Village’, which deals with the intangible heritage of rural communities, while the highlight of The Danube Sea will be completed by the ‘Tamburitza Philharmonic Orchestra’, which will gather 200 participants from 11 countries, for the first time. It will emphasise the colourfulness of the Danube countries, with the tones by which the tamburitza is recognisable in Europe and the world.
Photo: Jelena Ivanović, Promo
