Timisoara getting ready to be the European Capital of Culture in 2023

Timisoara, western Romania, is getting ready to be the European Capital of Culture in 2023 and to host hundreds of events organized by the three cultural partners – the TM2023 Association, the Timis County Council and the Timisoara City Hall’s Project Center.

The most remarkable events include a Constantin Brancusi exhibition – the largest dedicated to the sculptor in Romania in the last 50 years, an exhibition dedicated to surrealist plastic artist Victor Brauner, and a grandiose exhibition in memory of sculptor, painter and graphic artist Paul Neagu.

TM2023 kicks off on the New Year’s Eve with the spectacular Festival of Lights, which unfolds between December 29, 2022 and January 2, 2023 as a complex and extraordinary show of light, projections and video mapping, fireworks and laser games. Famous Spanish house and electro house DJ Danny Avila will also take the stage alongside DJ Dark and Alex Super Beats on this occasion.

“A little before 00:00 hrs, the people of Timisoara and the guests of the European Capital of Culture will enjoy one of the most interesting shows offered by prestigious Dutch artists and projected on a huge screen installed at the Maria Theresia Bastion. In the five days, the passers-by through the Union Square to the Bastion will have a spectacular sight to enjoy, as new media installations, video mapping and light designs will be beamed on the city’s landmark buildings. The ‘Road of Light’, stretching from the Art Museum to the Maria Theresa Bastion, will be built with light installations created by Timisoara, national and international European artists. The Festival of Lights is an event that faithfully reflects the principles and the theme of the year of the European Capital of Culture, that of light,” said Timisoara councilor Dan Diaconu.

In his turn, the mayor of Timișoara Dominic Fritz recalled the presence in Timișoara of some Nobel writers, such as Orhan Pamuk (2006) or Olga Tokarczuk (2019), 12 music festivals, from baroque to rock, themed festivals, as well as five theater festivals.

“We will be able to convince the seniors in Paris, but also the young people who come with their backpacks. We have a program for everyone that offers something for everyone. It is based on a red thread and core values: of diversity, innovation and courage. Everyone has a light that they can pass on,” said Dominic Fritz.

Between February 17-19, the Victor Brauner exhibition will open at the Art Museum, as well as the institution of Adina Pintilie – who represented Romania at Bieala in Venice. Also, a large vertical garden will be inaugurated in the Opera – an installation belonging to a company from Barcelona. The famous German philosopher and writer Peter Sloterdij will also be present in Timisoara.

International festivals will take place in Timisoara, such as the “JazzX” International Jazz Festival, the “Codru” Festival, the Flight Festival or the International Literature Festival, which are just some of the moments capable to draw large audiences from the entire region. Events that combine music with new technologies centered around the iconic monuments of the city – the Huniade Castle, the Maria Theresia Bastion or the Baroque Palace – will complete the offer of the County Council.

The county administration has made significant investments and continues to allocate considerable amounts for infrastructure, in order to bring the city’s cultural and exhibition spaces to European standards and to allow the organization of high magnitude international events. The investment program includes the National Art Museum, the Maria Theresa Bastion, the Village Museum and the Banat Region National Museum, other monuments and flagship institutions of Timisoara city, in a bid to leave a solid legacy of Timisoara 2023 Capital of Culture.