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Bergen 2000

Official text issued by the European Commission:

„On 17 February, Bergen intends to open its programme spread over three seasons, with Dreams of spring, followed by Wanderings of summer and Spaces of autumn.

Bergen 2000 will develop its activities in cooperation with cultural institutions from various countries: the conference „Tackling the new millennium“ on the history of European ideas, and the exhibition on „Life on board the North Atlantic“ organised in cooperation with several European maritime museums. The spectacular region of the fjords will provide a theatre for several events.

An international conference entitles “Kafka in the year 2000” on the German-language author from Prague will be organised in May by Bergen University.”

Source: http://europa.eu.int/comm/culture/capeurcult_en.html

 

Official text by the official site in the United States:

Bergen 2000 - European City of Culture

Bergen is situated on the West Coast of Norway.

News of Norway, issue 2, 2000

http://www.norway.org/ARCHIVE/News/archive/2000/200002bergen/

Bergen, the vibrant capitol of the West Coast of Norway, has a long history colored by international trade and travel. It was once Norway's capitol, serving as the trade hub for merchants travelling to and from distant shores. Needless to say, the multitude of cultures coming together in Bergen has had a profound influence on the city and its inhabitants. From the Hansa period to its modern day music festivals, Bergen has always been a center for cultural exploration. It is for these reasons that Bergen was selected as one of three European 'cities of culture' for the year 2000. More than 1,000 related events and festivities will take place between February and November 2000.

Year of festivities
The opening of 'Bergen - 2000 European City of Culture' started with three hectic days in the center of Bergen. February 17, the opening day, was marked with festivities all over the city, as well as the main events on Bergen's main square 'Torgallmenningen.' On February 18, the city's cultural institutions stayed open until late into the night, and February 19 celebrated children's culture day. As part of the millenial culture festivites, the city of Bergen has launched a website, www.bergen2000.no, which is available in both Norwegian and English. Not only does the website provide opportunities to search for specific events, but it also displays complete schedules of events, some with links to additional sites.

Highlights of ongoing and upcoming events include:

Evidence! Europe Reflected in Archives
Documents from the city archives of Bergen, Helsinki, Reykjavik, Santiago de Compostela, Prague, Krakow and Bologna, Europe's cultural cities in 2000, highlight the similarities among these diverse locations, as well as what is unique, ordinary and exotic in these cities` histories. www.euroarchives.org

Time - suspend your flight
This exhibition showcases artwork that focuses on the concept of time. These pieces, which are from different historical periods, are organized around five themes: The Time of Art, The Time of an Artist, The Time of an Artwork, The Time as a Structural Part of an Artwork, and Representation of Time. Artists represented in this show include Picasso, Christo, Jeanne Claude and Gonzales-Torres will be presented.
Bergen Art Museum, March 25 - May 14.

Cyber Couture: Nordic Event
This multimedia, collaborative show involves the three European Cities of Culture 2000: Reykjavik, Helsinki and Bergen. On display are works by Pia Myrvold, representing Norway, along with other young innovative designers from Iceland and Finland. Nordic countries will undoubtedly gain international recognition from this exhibition, which encompasses high technology, knowledge, pure nature, trends and intuition.
West Norway Museum of Decorative Art, Feb. 18 - May 7

Traditional Market Days in Bergen
This event will recreate the hustle and bustle of bygone days when fishers and farmers sold their products at open-air markets. Visitors will enjoy high-quality entertainment, exhibitions, guided tours of the Harbor, demonstrations of old fishnets, and interesting lectures on related topics.
The market is located at the Wharf, and is ongoing.

Bergen International Festival
In addition to the 'City of Culture' celebrations, the traditional Bergen International Festival will take place from May 24 through June 4. The festival, which has been a landmark on the West Coast for nearly five decades, features a delightful mixture of music from five continents, in a variety of styles and from different areas.

Official website at www.fib.no

Source: CARL IVAR HOLMEN

 

For further details see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergen

Also more information about Bergen 2000 can be obtained by the report by Giannalia Gogliandro at http://poieinkaiprattein.org/european-capital-of-culture/2000---nine-cities/european-cities-of-culture-for-the-year-2000---giannalia-cogliandro/

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