OPENING / 7 – 10 September 2023

The opening ceremony is the Kaleidoscope of Culture in miniature. It takes place for four days at the site of the District, one of the most significant infrastructural projects of the Novi Sad as the European Capital of Culture. Just as an overture is music leading into a longer work, familiarising listeners with the musical events they are about to hear in the work itself, the opening week announces all rich tones that will compose the symphony of the Kaleidoscope of Culture over the five weeks – architecture week, performing arts week, literature week, visual arts week and applied arts week.

This year, the opening ceremony of the sixth Kaleidoscope of Culture starts with the traditional Corso on Mihajla Pupina Boulevard, on September 7, followed by three more opening days in the form of a magnificent multimedia event in the District, from September 8 to 10.

In the title year of the European Capital of Culture as well, the opening was a reflection of the whole Kaleidoscope of Culture and an ode to diversity with the Biennale of Stage Design, ‘Dark Room’ – a light and audio installation by Vladimir Lalić, counter-SLET (counter-rally), which critically re-examines the form of SLET, the Biennale of Student Photography, a dancing machine ‘Autokorekt’, a ballet performance ‘La La La’, a dance manifestation ‘Tanz Platz’, English alternative rock band ‘Republica’, Swedish electronic duo ‘Carbon Based Lifeforms’, ‘Hercules and Love Affair’ whose big hit ‘Blind’ became the song of the year according to the American music magazine and portal ‘Pitchfork’, a synth-pop duo from Croatia ‘Pocket Palma’ and many others.

In the previous years, the opening programme of the Kaleidoscope of Culture was marked by the multimedia performance of ‘Rigoletto’ opera under the clear skies, Ars Electronica, one of the most prestigious institutions in the field of fine art media and contemporary art practices, CGS conference, Nicolas Fraiseau, Repetitor, the ‘Obnova’ Film Festival, Katalin Ladik, Vitomirka Trebovac, Nada Kolundžija, Slobodan Trkulja and many others.