TM2023: Nearly 100,000 visitors to exhibitions, cultural events since ECC programme opening

Nearly one hundred thousand people have crossed the threshold of the exhibition spaces in Timisoara European Capital of Culture (ECC) or attended related events organised in the city since the official opening of the title in February, TM 2023 project coordinator Ramona Laczko announced on Tuesday.

Of these, more than 60 thousand attended the events of the first TM2023 weekend, and the exhibitions at the Timisoara National Museum of Art, "Paul Neagu. A Retrospective" and "Victor Brauner: Inventions and Magic," which remain open until April 23, continue to attract a large public.

"The opening event of the ECC event means a start of the year and a standard upgrade in terms of the artistic aspects of the programme, the European dimension and audience participation. These have been the stakes from the beginning and on the programme and what it means for the whole cultural year as well as for the opening. On the opening weekend we had a 17 thousand people in the Unirii Square, and the exhibitions that remain open until April 23 continue to attract a large audience. There were more than 60 thousand people then, and since then a total of 100 thousand people, including in the activities in the neighbourhoods," Ramona Laczko detailed in a press conference.

Next, the TM2023 cultural project coordinators have prepared attractive events for a diverse audience, with peak attendance in June-July and September-November.

Cosmina Goagea, curator for the "Places" territory of the Timisoara European Capital of Culture 2023 programme, said that in the coming months a series of events will take place throughout the city, in the historic districts and in the towns near Timisoara.

"It is a very effervescent programme, with activities for different audiences and we expect a very intense public participation. Within the 'Places' territory, a very interesting project is 'The Parallel City' organised by the Diogene Association in partnership with the Hungarian State Theatre, a performance by Ana Margineanu and Stefan Peca, a touring theatre in the historical neighbourhoods of Timisoara, Fabric and Iosefin, which follows routes developed on the basis of an anthropological study and documentation in the respective communities, of active listening. The show is a walk through the city with an audience choosing the routes. The first performance takes place on Tuesday, the next ones are scheduled on April 24-25, May 8-9, June 14 and 15," said Cosmina Goagea.