Kaleidoscope of Culture is a unique cultural program that has established itself on the European map with prestigious awards as the most significant artistic event in the region.
With its recognizable 4/5 concept over five weeks of art, this year for the seventh time, it brought global stars to Novi Sad, while showcasing the greats of Serbian culture and offering opportunities for young artists, thus strengthening the local and national scene.
The official opening of the Kaleidoscope of Culture was traditionally held at Korzo, where Lana Zorjan, this year’s recipient of the world’s most prestigious classical music award, the Classical Music Award – Discovery Award, performed, alongside conductor, composer, and pianist, the rising young artist Maximilian Haberstock, and the Vojvodina Symphony Orchestra.
After that, five weeks of art followed in the renewed District. First, visitors enjoyed applied arts, as collaborators of world-renowned names like Bjork, David Bowie, Naomi Campbell, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Diana Ross – Andrew Melchior and Andrew Jose – arrived in Novi Sad. We enjoyed programs featuring over 90 artists through 10 exhibitions, 10 art installations, and 7 music programs, along with fashion shows, performances, and workshops.
The week of literature followed, with over 100 artists participating across the entire District in the realization of the Tišma Pavilion. We celebrated the centenary of the birth of Novi Sad’s greatest contemporary writer with the exhibition The Use of Man, which provided commentary on the book of the same name and the broader wartime context.
During the week of performing arts, after sold-out concerts at France’s largest concert hall, Accor, as well as performances at New York’s Carnegie Hall and Paris’ Olympia, the Novi Sad District hosted Ibrahim Maalouf, one of the most prominent trumpeters of today. This was a unique opportunity to witness over 5,000 people at a jazz concert in the Novi Sad District.
The architecture week of the Kaleidoscope of Culture presented the current Pritzker Prize laureate, Riken Yamamoto. In a packed hall at the Serbian National Theatre, we listened to his lecture, and the audience had the opportunity to ask questions.
The final week of this year’s Kaleidoscope of Culture was dedicated to the Black Wave. The exhibition The Darkest Wave, curated by Dr. Monika Bilbija Ponjavić, presented the works of the most awarded yet simultaneously most banned artists of the Black Wave. The rich accompanying program included screenings of cult films, a conversation with Želimir Žilnik, and a lecture by the prominent artist Uroš Đurić.
