The best European trend brand in the field of culture, the unique Kaleidoscope of Culture, will last from 1 September to 7 October, and the four-day grand opening will be accompanied by a handful of interesting events that will transform the renovated Liman District into a centre of artistic creativity. The event which has delighted the Novi Sad audience for the fifth year in a row will now reach its peak in the year of the European Capital of Culture title, and we bring you five reasons to visit the District and the spectacular opening of the Kaleidoscope of Culture, where you will have the opportunity to experience phenomenal artists over the course of four days which will paint Novi Sad with the most diverse shades of art, creating a true mosaic of culture.
#1 More Than 100 Events in Just Four Days
The Kaleidoscope of Culture, a project that will remain in Novi Sad as a permanent legacy even after the ECoC title year, this year will have its grand opening #5 in the District, and during four days we will enjoy an incredible 105 events. We will meet almost 400 artists from 38 countries, and we believe that by visiting the District, all visitors will find a programme for themselves, from numerous exhibitions and concerts to film screenings, plays and dance performances. Let’s write a new page of Kaleidoscope of Culture together by promoting a culture of togetherness!
#2 Collision of Different Arts in the District
The opening of the Kaleidoscope of Culture awaits us from 1 to 4 September in an area that boasts a 100-year-long history of industrial heritage on 11,000 square metres. The District, Novi Sad’s centre of culture and artistic creativity, is proof that diversity is woven into the foundations of Novi Sad, a city that developed on the wings of industrialisation, and now this area will gain a new dimension. We will see for ourselves at the four-day opening. Just as the Kaleidoscope of Culture is one of the most challenging ECoC projects in terms of production, the renewed District is one of the most important infrastructure projects of Novi Sad as the European Capital of Culture. Therein lies the strength of this renovated space, which is no longer just a space for holding cultural events, but also a renovated home and an oasis for numerous local artists, as well as cultural organisations, which form an important part of Novi Sad’s art scene. Opening the door to the industrial heritage of the District, we see how the former sound of machines and tools of this once industrial zone of the city has been replaced by the creative drive of modern creativity. And how the development path went from the former industrial Chinatown to today’s District, the new trademark of the Novi Sad art scene, find out here.
#3 Culture of Movement
The culture of togetherness, the motto of this event, which is also symbolised by the opening of the Kaleidoscope of Culture, gets its affirmation precisely by holding a modern slet, which opens the question of what togetherness means for us today. What SLET once meant for Yugoslavia and how massive this event was, you can read in this article on our website, and don’t miss a chance to see the choreographic performance Against the Wind – a Response to Slet, which will be performed from 1 to 3 September at 7 p.m. in the District, as part of the opening of the Kaleidoscope of Culture programme arch. Against the Wind – a Response to Slet attempts to discover how to dance again and how togetherness can be achieved through the former symbol of unity which we ourselves have long forgotten. Preparations for this event at the opening of the Kaleidoscope of Culture lasted more than half a year, with a total of 580 young men and women from Novi Sad, along with four choreographers and four female directors, while the final performance will be presented by 110 young people with the support of the acting ensemble of the Youth Theatre.
And we will have the opportunity to see new dance trends on the European art scene at the sixth edition of the international contemporary dance festival Tanz Platz, which will be held during the four-day opening at SCCNS Fabrika. Dance lovers, let’s get to know how artists from Spain, Japan, Sweden, Greece, Brazil, and Serbia dance, led by the established Japanese choreographer Satoshi Kudo, who will delight us with his performance. See you in the District!
#4 Experience the Musical Kaleidoscope in Miniature
This year’s opening of the Kaleidoscope of Culture will be marked by performances to remember, and a wide variety of concerts in various genres await us in the District. Find out which musical names are coming to the European Capital of Culture to jointly open #5 Kaleidoscope of culture in this article and – head right to the District to get the dose of good energy and quality sound
#5 Visual Art Tucked into Every Corner of the District
As part of the 105 events that will mark the opening of the Kaleidoscope of Culture in the District, we’ll be treated to more than 20 exhibitions and installations that will be woven into every corner of the District, and we invite you to make a cultural tour of the former Novi Sad Chinatown and absorb your dose of visual art that will be talked about even after the opening of the Kaleidoscope of Culture. On the facade of Fabrika, at the entrance to the District, you will be greeted by one of the largest interactive installations in Europe, Autokorekt, the work of the Karkatag art collective, winner of the prestigious prize of The Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust.
More than 25 of Serbia’s most important new media artists, led by big names like Vladimir Lalić and Goran Despotovski, will present their works in the renovated premises of the District. The stage design exhibition should also not be missed, because through them you will get to know the so-called invisible people of the theatre, the masters of the craft behind the scene, who do not get standing ovations for their work, and without whose hands and work the theatre, stage, and costumes would not exist. Besides our calendar, the complete list of all exhibitions can be found in this article on the Kaleidoscope of Culture website, and what Visit singles out for you is the Art of Gaming conference, which you should not miss.
We invite you to immerse yourself in the world of art in games together, to peek behind the pixels of everything that makes the world of gaming so fascinating. Because gaming aren’t just games we use to fill our time with. Gaming is an active art. On this occasion, let’s meet the curator of this programme, Tijana Prodanović, PhD, an astrophysicist and a famous Tiktok star.
Spend four days with us in the District! See you there!
Partners of the Kaleidoscope of Culture are Erste Bank, IDEA, DDOR Life Insurance, A1 Srbija, and Heineken Srbija.
Author: Marina Marić
Photo: Filip Petronijević, Vladimir Veličković, Promo/ECoC
