Košice wraps up ECOC 2013

(The Slovak Spectator; 41/2013; 02/12/2013; s.: 12; redakcia ; Zaradenie: Culture)

THE EASTERN-Slovak metropolis of Košice, which shared the European Capital of Culture ECOC title for the year 2013 with the French port city of Marseilles, will hand the title over to Latvian capital Riga and Umea, Sweden. “The ECOC Košice 2013 project is not ending, but it will continue, which is proven by the activities we are preparing for next year and the city’s cultural strategy for the next five years,” Ján Sudzina, director of the Košice 2013 non-profit making organisation, said in a press release. “Despite this, we feel the need to say farewell to a successful year… A year during which we not only had the opportunity to see and meet the best from all art genres as well as curators, art historians, experts in creative economy and renowned architects, but Košice experienced a great boom in the transformation of its cultural infrastructure. An infrastructure of a completely new type was created, such as the Kunsthalle/Hall of Art, the Barracks/Culture Park and the SPOTs, as well as the reconstruction of traditional cultural facilities,” he said. “A second important thing is that in terms of the official and artistic programme, we managed to implement all key projects,” he continued. “…I consider as very important the fact that we brought new, innovative forms and festivals. I will consider it a success if in the future events such as Sound City Days, White Night, Use the City, New Dance Days and the Triennale of Contemporary Art will continue, become regular and will find ground to proceed in future years.” The ceremony to wrap up Košice’s cultural year will take place between December 10 and 14 in several venues. Events include the Two in One concert, which offers a link between renowned artists from Slovakia and the French “cultural twin” Marseille, a premiere of the 66 Seasons opera, the Light of Understanding concert, an exhibition of artistic works and documents from the 1920s called Košice Moderna and many other events. “We don’t consider this a closing ceremony, but a real farewell to the year and as encouragement for those cities which will be the successors,” Sudzina summed up. “We want to give them encouragement… At the same time, we would like to invite the citizens of Košice, the region and the whole of Slovakia, to a number of cultural events which we are preparing for next year.” Compiled by Spectator staff