In 2010 Pécs, the European Capital of Culture, as “the gate to the Balkans”, invites artists from the Balkans to create a joint general art project that ignores national frontiers and language barriers. The term Art Picnic refers to the collective nature of the project. The different programmes building on the intersections between street art, visual art, music and other branches of art will be held in the city’s public quares, also as yet unused spaces.

The Festival features the “Play me, I’m yours” street piano project launched in England. Old pianos set up at several different places in the city are decorated and signed by visual artists and then left for anybody to play.

The Promenade of Benches and Cities is a permanent outdoor exhibition located alongside the Northern Castle Wall Promenade. The artists creating the bench-sculpture park will be selected from representatives of the six cities which competed for the title of the European Capital of Culture in the second round of bidding.

In addition, musicians from the Balkan region will fill the city with music day after day for a whole week. Amongst others hosted is the world famous Romanian violinist, Alexander Balanescu, who will give more than just a solo concert; he will begin working together with the Singas Project of Pécs during the Festival, and the closing event of the Picnic will be their joint, really “Pan-Balkan” concert.

The Northern Castle Wall Promenade will turn into a family-friendly park in the weekend of the Picnic. Children will be welcome at theatre performances and Balkan dance houses, including the Lábita Theatre of Szende Csernik from Transylvania, the Children’s Theatre of Szabadka, and the first public performance from the new album by Tamás Rozs and the Arco Trio entitled The Roots of Soul."

Source and programme: panbalkan.hu