Malta’s first art biennale, Copenhagen’s converted Carlsberg district, the first cultural capital of the Arctic Circle. . . This year a festival of cultural activities
Germany celebrates the 250th birthday of one of its most beloved painters, the Romantic artist Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840). His paintings depict mountains, ruins, and tumultuous seas, with human figures, such as The Wayfarer on the Sea of Fog. Exhibitions are running in Hamburg (until April 1), Berlin (April 19 to August 4) and Dresden (August 2 to 4 to January 5, 2025), where Friedrich lived for four years; he is buried in the city’s Trinitatis Cemetery. In his hometown of Greifswald, a festival (from 31 August to 1 September) and three exhibitions will be held at the Pomeranian National Museum (from 28 April). Visitors will also be able to follow in the artist’s footsteps: literally, because he liked to travel on foot, sketchbook in hand, to places where he painted, such as the island of Rügen or the Swiss National Park saxonne. germany. travel
Step aside, Venice: Malta opens its first biennale this spring. The event has already caused a stir in world art, attracting programs from more than 2,500 artists from 75 countries. The final number has not yet been set, but the organisers have promised that they will be showcasing “a number of world-renowned artists”. Themed around the olive groves of the White Sea, the artworks will explore the Maltese and Mediterranean fashion identity. Contemporary art will be exhibited in ancient settings, most of them classified by UNESCO (the total of Valletta, the capital, is classified as a world heritage site with 320 ancient monuments). Several venues are being remodeled into exhibition spaces for the first time, adding the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta, the Armory in Birgu Old Town, and the megalithic temples of Ġgantija in Gozo. From March 11 to the end of May, maltabiennale. art
For the third year running, three cities are sharing the title of European capital of culture, among them is Tartu, the second-biggest city in Estonia and the oldest city in the Baltics. The first written records of the city date from 1030, and it has long been the cultural heart of the country, with the first university, newspapers and national theatre. Today, it is still full of concert venues, exhibition halls, theatres and museums, and students make up a quarter of the population. More than 1,000 events are planned for the year of culture, from the opening ceremony on 26 January to a closing celebration on 30 November. Summer is a great time to visit, when Vabaduse Avenue, one of the main streets along the river, is closed to cars (6 July to 11 August). Car-free Avenue will have a hammock maze, art workshops, children’s activities and a series of concerts from Estonian and international musicians.tartu2024.ee
The Carlsberg district (pictured) of central Copenhagen has been in development ever since brewing stopped there in 2008, and is finally more or less complete. The area’s restored 19th- and 20th-century industrial buildings are complemented by nine high-rise new-builds inspired by San Gimignano in Italy – the city of towers. Visitors who go for the architecture will find plenty else to keep them there. There are design shops and concept stores, an art gallery, a spa and the boutique Hotel Ottilia. Numerous restaurants include a Danish smørrebrød (open sandwich) cafe, a gastropub in the old malt silo, a burger joint in the boiler house and a “New Nordic” restaurant on the site of natural springs. And, last December, the Visit Carlsberg attraction reopened as Home of Carlsberg after five years of modernisation. There is a new interactive exhibition, a restaurant and bar, plus cellar tours and tastings.wonderfulcopenhagen.com
Ghent is the European Youth Capital 2024 and has a lot to offer young people making a stopover. The main attractions are the Château des Comtes, a medieval castle with a moat and a bloody collection of torture instruments; Werregarenstraatje, also known as Graffiti Alley, a public canvas for street artists; and the Bell Tower, with 254 steps to climb to make a stop next to a dragon, the city’s mascot. Families can also download the Fosfor the Dragon app for a two-hour scavenger hunt around the city. Just outside, in the center, is the Blaarmeersen Recreation and Sports Park, which features a lake with a sandy beach, a water park, a skate park, and much more. Kids will either love or hate cuberdons: syrupy, raspberry-flavored delicacies invented by a pharmacist from Ghent and still sold only in Belgium. stopover at. gent. be
Bad Ischl, in the Salzkammergut region of western Austria, is another cultural capital. Bad Ischl, the spa town and summer residence of Emperor Franz Joseph I, has joined forces with 22 rural Alpine municipalities. Among them is Lake Attersee, which encouraged Gustav Klimt and Gustav Mahler. Among the highlights of this year’s program is Salt Lake Cities, an artist residency program aimed at reviving 12 disused exercise stations with installations, exhibitions, and pop-up projects. Another notable place is Reise der Bilder, an exhibition spread across 3 Sites of artworks looted during World War II in Salzkammergut. Other major occasions include a street music festival, a theatre festival, and an experimental music and virtual art festival. Finally, to celebrate the 200th birthday of Upper Austrian composer Anton Bruckner. , a concert will be held in a giant salt pan in Ebensee. salzkammergut-2024. at
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Those who missed the National Gallery’s Artemisia Gentileschi exhibition in 2020-2021 (it was interrupted due to the pandemic) can travel to Genoa this spring. The Ligurian city hosts a major exhibition of the 17th-century revolutionary artist, with more than 50 of his paintings hailing from across Europe and the United States. The exhibition takes place in the Doge’s Palace, which was in various bureaucracy the apartment of the Doge of Genoa from the 12th to the 18th century. It has a vaulted atrium, a wide corridor with huge chandeliers, a frescoed chapel, dungeons and a tower with perspectives of one of the largest medieval centers in Europe. This is just one of the many palaces in Genoa: 42 of them make up the Palazzi dei Rolli, a World Heritage Site. The biannual Rolli Days are open to the public (the next occasion from 19 to 21 January). Artemisia Gentileschi: courage and passion, until April 1, palazzoducale. genova. it
The third cultural capital is Bodø, in northern Norway, the first city north of the Arctic Circle to hold this title. Its goal is to be the most sustainable cultural capital of all time and is often located outdoors, whether on land or at sea. The ceremony, on February 3, will take place on a floating level in the port. There is a concert in a submerged cave, where spectators must be accredited divers (it will also be broadcast live), and a new 10 meter high sculpture. through the poet Petter Dass on an islet, maximum productivity is seen through a boat. On dry land, the highlights come with a large-scale outdoor event called Midsummer Mischief, Europe’s only land art biennale and Nordland’s first Winter Light Festival. Sami culture is celebrated with a trilogy of works through the Southern Sami Theatre, while the Bodø City Museum will be a Sami museum by the year. bodo2024. no
Perfectly timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Abba’s victory, Sweden hosts this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Host city Malmö will be bustling with activity during the finals weekend on May 11 as Eurovision enthusiasts arrive in droves, but it’s packed with culture all year round. The Malmö Konstmuseum showcases art, furniture and crafts Nordic; Moderna Museet Malmö presents works by Dalí and Picasso, as well as new exhibitions; the Form/Design Center focuses on architecture, design and craftsmanship; and, an hour’s drive away, the picture-perfect Falsterbo Museum of Photographic Art features photographs by Helmut Newton, Robert Mapplethorpe, Anton Corbijn and others. A little less intellectual is the Disgusting Food Museum, which features 80 stomach-churning exhibits, from worms to From infested cheeses from Sardinia to Rotten Shark from Iceland. visitmalmo. se
In April, Genoa will pass the baton to Strasbourg as the e-book capital of the world. Over the next 12 months, more than 200 e-book-related events will take place, such as the Arsmondo Utopia festival – named after Thomas More’s e-book – at the Strasbourg Opera. , which offers operas, concerts, film screenings, lectures and debates. Other venues include the Musée de l’Œuvre Notre-Dame, a museum of sculptures and stained glass, and the Array, which features works by Magritte, Monet, and Rodin. The city itself has a lot to motivate budding novelists, with its charming island setting (the centre is surrounded by the River Ill and a canal), its half-timbered houses, and its gigantic Gothic cathedral, praised by writers such as Goethe and Victor Hugo. April From 23 April 2024 to 22 April 2025, lirenotremonde. strasbourg. eu