During its stint next year as European Capital of Culture, Timisoara city will host hundreds of events organized by the three cultural partners - the TM2023 Association, the Timis County Council and the Timisoara City Hall's Project Center.

The most remarkable events include a Constantin Brancusi exhibition - the largest dedicated to the sculptor in Romania in the last 50 years, an exhibition dedicated to surrealist plastic artist Victor Brauner, and a grandiose exhibition in memory of sculptor, painter and graphic artist Paul Neagu.

TM2023 kicks off at the passage of the years with the spectacular Festival of Lights, which unfolds between December 29, 2022 and January 2, 2023 as a complex and extraordinary show of light, projections and video mapping, fireworks and laser games.

Dan Diaconu, personal adviser to the Timis County Council president, who oversees the implementation and promotion of the events organized by the county administration for TM2023, told AGERPRES that the pinnacle of the opening events will be in the night between the years, when famous Spanish house and electro house DJ Danny Avila will take the stage alongside DJ Dark and Alex Super Beats.

"A little before 00:00 hrs, the people of Timisoara and the guests of the European Capital of Culture will enjoy one of the most interesting shows offered by prestigious Dutch artists and projected on a huge screen installed at the Maria Theresia Bastion. In the five days, the passers-by through the Union Square to the Bastion will have a spectacular sight to enjoy, as new media installations, video mapping and light designs will be beamed on the city's landmark buildings. The 'Road of Light', stretching from the Art Museum to the Maria Theresa Bastion, will be built with light installations created by Timisoara, national and international European artists. The Festival of Lights is an event that faithfully reflects the principles and the theme of the year of the European Capital of Culture, that of light," explained Dan Diaconu.

The Timis County Council will roll out throughout 2023 a spectacular program governed by three essential principles: artistic excellence, the impact on the general public and the ability to attract tourists, as well as an accentuated European dimension for each implemented project.

The County Council's program will see major international festivals take place in Timisoara, such as the "JazzX" International Jazz Festival, the "Codru" Festival, the Flight Festival or the International Literature Festival, which are just some of the moments capable to draw large audiences from the entire region. Events that combine music with new technologies centered around the iconic monuments of the city - the Huniade Castle, the Maria Theresia Bastion or the Baroque Palace - will complete the offer of the County Council.

"The central and most valuable event (...) is Romania's largest Brancusi exhibition in the last 50 years. Titled 'Brancusi: Romanian Sources and Universal Perspectives', it will have exhibits from famous museums of the world on display and is expected to attract numerous visitors and offer a unique experience. The exhibition is complemented by the retrospectives 'Victor Brauner - Inventions and Magic' and 'Paul Neagu. A Retrospective', but also by a string of events that highlight new forms of artistic expression at the National Art Museum. We would also like to bring a section of the 'George Enescu' Festival to Timisoara," added Dan Diaconu.

He also stated that the county administration has made significant investments and continues to allocate considerable amounts for infrastructure, in order to bring the city's cultural and exhibition spaces to European standards and to allow the organization of high magnitude international events. The investment program includes the National Art Museum, the Maria Theresa Bastion, the Village Museum and the Banat Region National Museum, other monuments and flagship institutions of Timisoara city, in a bid to leave a solid legacy of Timisoara 2023 Capital of Culture. AGERPRES (RO - author: Otilia Halunga, editor: George Onea; EN - editor: Simona Klodnischi)