The beginning of a new programme arch called Other? Europe also marked the beginning of the grand finale of the European Capital of Culture. The first programme unit of Other? Europe called Superpowerful encourages equality in the creation of cultural content through inclusion and accessibility. In the first half of October, the creative synergy of marginalised groups and artists from all over Europe will show that there is a superpower in all of us.

Last night’s introduction to the European Capital of Culture’s unique finale was marked by the world-famous percussionist Evelyn Glennie, who held a concert with the experimental musician Szilárd Mezei at the City Concert Hall. Also, on 7 October, an exhibition of one of the greatest Serbian painters, Uroš Predić, called ‘Uroš Predić for Everyone’ was opened at the Gallery of Matica Srpska. The exhibition was implemented according to the highest museum standards and is accessible to visitors with disabilities, and of all age categories. The exhibition, whose partners are exemplary European museum institutions in terms of accessibility – The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and the Typhlological Museum in Zagreb, will be open until 31 January.

Superpowerful through Visual Art

Within the Superpowerful programme unit, two more large exhibitions will be opened, ‘Art Brut’ and ‘Europe According to Feješ’. From 10 October at 6 p.m., a cross-section of art brut in Europe will be presented through the artistic expressions of people with problems in psychosocial functioning, along with residents and the rich archive of the Art Brut Serbia Association. The exhibition ‘Art Brut’ will be displayed until 30 October at the Archives of Vojvodina, the Shock Gallery and the corridor in the passage, and the Svilara Cultural Station. The goal is to raise awareness of tolerance and integration of art among socially marginalised groups. In the Cultural Centre of Novi Sad and the Tourist Organization of Novi Sad, from 11 to 23 October, the exhibition of the works of the protagonist of world naïve painting Emerik Feješ, ‘Europe According to Feješ’, will present the art of this unconventional painter of the 20th century and painter of urban landscapes of the Yugoslav naïve. The opening of the exhibition is scheduled for 7 p.m. One of the most successful schools in Serbia, the School for Primary and Secondary Education ‘Milan Petrović’, will present its innovative collection of works of art to the public through the exhibition ‘Art for All’ and demonstrate the standards, i.e., adapting off the space and ways of displaying works of art so that they are accessible. The exhibition will be available from 10 October at 12 p.m. in the hall of the Rectorate building of the University of Novi Sad. For those who still prefer film art, the unique international film festival ‘Seize the Film’ dealing with the theme of disability will be held from 12 to 16 October in the Cultural Centre of Novi Sad. ‘Seize the Film’ is the first film festival in Serbia accessible to the blind, deaf and people with physical disabilities. The festival is of an international character as it shows films from all over the world selected by an expert jury. Admission to the festival is free of charge.

Performing Arts within the Superpoweful

Musical art will also be included in the Superpowerful programme, specially, through the performance of the Viennese contemporary music ensemble. The 120-decibel music concert by the Viennese classical-experimental group Black Page Orchestra will be held on 14 October at the City Concert Hall starting at 8 p.m., and admission to the concert is free. At the concert, ear protectors will be distributed to the audience, and then a programme composed of contemporary compositions by foreign and domestic authors will be performed. The ensemble brings together a classical instrumental composition with strong energy supported by electronic music and video projections. Association of the elderly ‘Seniori’ implements the artistic and activist project ‘Vintage Theatre’, the result of which will be the performance ‘When I Grow Up I’ll Be Old’, which will take place on 11 October at 7.30 pm at the Cultural Centre of Novi Sad. The ‘Vintage Theatre’ project gathers a generation of people aged 65 or older and involves them in an active theatrical process, questioning the topics of ageing, stereotypes towards older people, societal positions, and value systems of these vintage generations.

Other? Europe programme arch will be the grand finale of the European Capital of Culture. From 7 October to 27 November, with numerous programmes, it will raise questions of dominant values in European culture and art and lead to the discovery of different, alternative, marginalized, minority and rebellious expressions.

Photo: Vladimir Veličković, Igor Ripak