Timișoara 2023 European Capital of Culture: Interview with Curator Corina Oprea

Timișoara, alongside Eleusis and Veszprém, serves as a European Capital of Culture for 2023. The city, a multicultural hub in the Banat region bordering Hungary and Serbia, has developed a cultural program focused on dialogue, coexistence, and European integration. General curator Corina Oprea discusses the program's themes of people, places, and connections, with over 120 events. The pandemic delayed the opening by two years, allowing ideas to mature. The collective exhibition 'Chronic Desire,' co-curated with Brindusa Tudor and Cosmina Goagea, features 35 international and local artists exploring survival in difficult environments. Works include Mona Vatamanu and Florin Tudor's 'The tree of life,' Harun Morrison's pieces, Rosa Whitely's 'The Cement feeds on us,' and Anca Benera and Arnold Estefan's 'Hunger Stones.' The program also emphasizes human rights, with projects like the outdoor musical booklet 'Freedom?' by Identity.Education and programs by the Intercultural Institute and ERIAC focusing on Roma rights. Oprea notes that the Romanian contemporary art scene has gained momentum since Sibiu was Capital of Culture in 2007, with increased international biennial participation and acclaim at Cannes and Berlin film festivals. She highlights the challenge of local and national funding not keeping pace with contemporary urgencies.