If you're looking for warm-blooded Danes, look no further: Residents and visitors have flocked to Aarhus to launch the city as one of this year's European Capitals of Culture. DW's Bernd Riegert reports.
Image: DW/B. Riegert
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Almost 1,000 singers accompanied by two orchestras took to Aarhus' stages as the Danish city celebrated the colorful launch of its European Capital of Culture celebrations. For one year, the coastal city will highlight both Danish and international culture, featuring hundreds of events, including ballet, theater, opera and concerts.
The three big museums in town - the Aarhus Art Museum (ARoS), the Old Town Museum and the Moesgard Museum of Prehistory - are the major players on Aarhus extensive event calendar for 2017.
Eivör Palsdottir, a singer and composer who hails from the Faroe Islands, said she was impressed by the "wonderful, heartwarming" display. The Danish folk performer was among those who contributed her musical works to the opening gala in the city's harbor.
A spectacular light show kicked off the yearlong series of events for the European Culture CapitalImage: DW/B. Riegert
A town united in its love for culture
Surrounded by water and the bright display of fireworks, her Nordic hymns completed a rather fitting start to the year-long events. Roaring applause from more than 30,000 participants appeared to underline that impression. More than half of Denmark's second-largest city came out to join in on the all the merriment, said a policeman. Organizers had expected fewer people to show up.
The mayor of Aarhus, Jacob Bundsgard, ceremoniously sent a regatta of 4,000 Viking boats of varying proportions off to a parade from the Aarhus concert hall to the city's harbor.
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark was also in attendance, watching the vessels, which had lovingly been built by various citizens of Aarhus and its 18 neighboring communities, as they added a local dimension to the festivities. Aarhus, after all, started off as a Viking city. She arrived a bit late - but she's allowed to do that in Denmark.
Mayor Bundsgard told DW that all the town's residents were behind the project, which he said took many years to set up and pull off: "We have thousands of volunteers. This has truly become the talk of the town."
Aarhus: a transient city for centuries
He added that the parade of ships included some political elements in addition to highlighting the town's Viking heritage: Different boats underscored various social issues, including climate change, migration and sustainability. Bundsgard also stressed that Aarhus is a town of "minorities and immigrants."
"We're proud of this, and will also be celebrating this aspect of our city in this year."
In addition to Danish music, performers at the opening night also played Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" - the hymn of the European Union. Despite growing populism in Denmark and elsewhere in Europe, the event hopes to highlight not only Danish culture but Denmark's place in Europe.
Reinventing culture - and conflict resolution
The director-general of the event, Rebecca Matthews, says that the framework of the European Capital status provides an opportunity for the city to rediscover and reinvent culture. "Let's rethink" is the slogan she goes by.
The city appears to be infused by this youthful spirit - in no small parts due to the high number of children and young people attending the opening night. Matthews says that Aarhus is a "young city," which is shown in the fact that 16 schools as well as the local university took part in building the regatta of boats for the launch event.
"In fact, we actually hope to address a young audience. We want to try new things, participate in activities and rethink everything to find solutions for the problems that we are currently surrounded by," Matthews said.
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark - pictued inside the tent here - opened the festivities to mark the launchImage: DW/B. Riegert
Looking into the future
Aarhus mayor Jacob Bundsgard is already looking at what's coming down the line at the end of the Aarhus 2017 events. He told DW that what's more important than the status as European Capital of Culture in 2017 is the legacy the event leaves behind:
"What's most important is actually not the year but what comes after the year. The legacy of 2017 here in Aarhus is what we are focusing on; so we want all the cultural institutions to increase the competencies, to jump a level in terms of internationalization and quality, and we want all the citizens to be even more open-minded and curious about what's going on in the world."
Bundsgard is confident that the events of this special year will finally put Aarhus on the map as an international city of culture. The Danish city will also be joined by the Cypriot town of Paphos, which next week will launch its own set of events to celebrate being this year's other European Capital of Culture.
Aarhus reinvents itself as European Capital of Culture
With installation art, storytelling, dance and other experiments, the Danish city wants to reinvent itself as European Capital of Culture in 2017. Aarhus calls on visitors to participate in reshaping the city.
Image: DW/B. Riegert
Somewhere inside the rainbow
High above the Aarhus art museum ARoS, visitors move through a rainbow walkway with spectacular light effects. The setting, designed by light artist Olafur Eliasson in 2011, seems to resemble a dream. This unique light installation has become the trademark of contemporary Aarhus.
Image: DW/B. Riegert
Big, but oh so small
Aarhus wants to open up new perspectives to its visitors and is using art to this end. Pictured here, "Boy" is the title of a sculpture by artist Ron Mueck that is featured at the ARoS museum. The modern art institution will also hold a major exhibition called "The Garden" as part of the Aarhus 2017 events. Danish artists will show their works alongside those of international colleagues.
Image: DW/B. Riegert
Light messages
Denmark's unofficial slogan - "the same for everyone" - is designed to express the country's tolerance and open-mindedness. Light artist Nathan Coley took inspiration in this motto and scattered several of these installations around Aarhus. Pictured here in front of the Aarhus City Hall, the light displays call on people to rethink their perspectives.
Image: DW/B. Riegert
Colorful thoughts across the sky
The European Capital of Culture events are addressed to children and young people in particular. For the opening day, young students from villages surrounding Aarhus wrote their thoughts on paper and sent them off into the sky attached to balloons - making them traveling thoughts.
Image: DW/B. Riegert
Feel free to be amazed
Organizers hope that children and adults alike will be amazed by the hundreds of performances lined up for the year. Operas, concerts and festivals held as part of Aarhus 2017 will be aimed at an inclusive audience and not just cultural elites, according to the director of the event, Rebecca Matthews.
Image: DW/B. Riegert
A multi-faceted guest artist
British singer Anohni will compose, record and work in Aarhus during the entire year. Her new album will be performed with the Aarhus Philharmonic Orchestra in November. Her powerful and sensitive vocals combined with her signature abrupt changes in style are, like everything else during Aarhus 2017, intended to encourage people to rethink their perspectives.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Samad
Don't stop
The acclaimed dance performance "Barbarians," the Paris Opera Ballet, and a number of Danish artists will all flock to the 2017 Culture Capital. There will also be a global music summit and jazz expeditions. With participation being a key element of Aarhus 2017, visitors are invited to join in.
Image: DW/B. Riegert
Streamlined architecture
The MoMu (Moesgaard-Museum) building appreas to be growing out of a lawn. It's one of the most celebrated pieces of architecture in Aarhus. Later in the year, its roof will serve as the stage for a Viking performance - a Danish saga about love and conquest called "The Red Serpent." Organizers hope the show will draw thousands of visitors to this unusual location.
Image: DW/B. Riegert
A brief encounter with our ancestors
The MoMu in Moesgaard enables visitors to have encounters with prehistoric humans. Highlighting early human history, this starcase features a number of examples of human evolution. The museum will also host a special exhibit on history's first refugees within the framework of Aarhus' year as European Capital of Culture. Another museum in town shows "Life-boats," a show on refugee vessels.
Image: DW/B. Riegert
Putting Aarhus on the map
The curator of the Old Town Museum (Den Gambe By), Martin Brandt Djupdraet, says Aarhus will benefit greatly from this special year. He expects visitors to flock to his outdoor museum. A century ago, a major exhibition in Aarhus totally transformed the city, establishing its reputation as a place of art and culture. "That might happen again now," says Djupdraet.
Image: DW/B. Riegert
New use for the Old Town museum
This Danish living room dating back to the year 1950 is the latest acquisition of the "Den Gamle By" museum, and one that is actually in active use: Danes suffering from dementia come together here for a cup of coffee in this old-fashioned setting. Finding themselves in a familiar environment helps keep their condition at bay - a new approach in combatting dementia.
Image: DW/B. Riegert
Sustainable architecture
A lot of construction work is underway in Aarhus this year. There will be both Danish and international architects involved in numerous building projects, like these edifices along the shore that resemble icebergs. With the new building projects in Aarhus, ensuring sustainable energy for the new inhabitants is part of the local mindset.
Image: DW/B. Riegert
Water, light and Martin Luther
Aarhus is turning into a city of light in 2017, with light shows, water music and the European fireworks championship bringing plenty of sparkle. The city will be visible from far away thanks to a light installation at the port and the tower of the City Hall. The Cathedral of Aarhus, meanwhile, will celebrate the Martin Luther anniversary year with a light installation of its own.
