Programme presentation Linz 2009 European Capital of Culture

Press Conference Brussels, 14 October 2008

(f.l.t.r.) LH Dr. Josef Pühringer, Martin Heller, Dr. Claudia Schmied, Ulrich Fuchs, Dr. Erich Watzl, Airan Berg
Copyright: Linz09
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Press Conference
October 14, 2008, 6:00 p.m.
European Parliament, Paul-Henri Spaak Building, Press Room PHS 0A50
1047 Brussels, Rue Wiertz 60

MEP Harald Ettl will play the role of host at the press conference. The speakers will be:
Claudia Schmied, Austrian Federal Minister for Education, the Arts and Culture
Josef Pühringer, Minister President of Upper Austria
Erich Watzl, Deputy Mayor of Linz and Chairman of Linz09
Martin Heller, Artistic Director of Linz09
Ulrich Fuchs, Deputy Artistic Director, Head of Project Development of Linz09
Airan Berg, Artistic Director Performing Arts

Linz, the capital of Upper Austria, will be European Capital of Culture in 2009 and shares this title with Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. What makes Linz09 special as a cultural capital? What distinguishes this city from its predecessors, the past Capitals of Culture?

Co-operations with the cultural institutions of the city and of Upper Austria, with already existing regional festivals and with educational institutions, associations and the indie scene make a multitude of exhibitions, projects, ideas and concepts possible for Linz in her role as 2009 European Capital of Culture.

In mid-November the final Programme Book 3/3 will be presented. It will introduce Linz09’s 220 or so projects, featuring 331 artists from 43 different countries, including nine outstanding artists from Belgium, who will be involved in eight of Linz09’s projects.
The first projects from Linz09’s programme were realized as long ago as 2007, such as “Kunst in die Stadt!!” [Art into the city!!], which is a collaborative venture by Linz09 and OK Offenes Kulturhaus Oberösterreich. It is a three-part exhibition in the public space, of which “Schaurausch” was shown in 2007; this was followed by “Tiefenrausch” this year, and in Cultural Capital Year “Höhenrausch” will take its visitors to the city’s rooftops.

By contrast with most other recent Capitals of Culture Linz will start Cultural Capital Year 2009 on New Year’s Eve with festivities that will go on for three days and involve the entire city. At midnight the curtain comes up on Cultural Capital Year with the “Rocket Symphony” above the Danube accompanied by a number of musical surprises.