The 10th White Night festival is bringing back some of works from previous editions. One of them will by an impressive crescent moon created by BN Label. (source: Courtesy of White Night)
Bratislava will again transform into a life gallery of contemporary art, hosting the jubilee 10th edition of the popular multi-genre festival White Night (Biela Noc) this weekend. Artwork displays, projections and other events created by dozens of artists from more than 10 countries will be held at 48 venues from Friday, October 4, until Sunday, October 6.
“With respect to the overall situation in the culture in Slovakia, this year we wanted to present the theme of cooperation, dialogue, diversity into the public space, and talk about how nice it is when art tells stories, even diverse ones,” said Zuzana Pacáková, the festival’s artistic director. “Some of the works present more serious themes, some minimalist interventions, others are really about aesthetic experience.”
Pacaková is pleased, that the festival has restarted after the difficult pandemic and post-pandemic years, bringing high quality art works to Slovakia, either touring the world as well as created directly for the festival.
“Artists have an opportunity to experiment and create new things,” said Pacáková.
White Night, celebrating a milestone anniversary, as a gift to itself, is bringing back some of the most beloved works from previous editions. However, they will be placed in a new context and, located outside the usual festival routes, they will revitalise a new part of the city and engage a fresh audience. One will be an impressive crescent moon created by BN Label and exhibited near the football stadium with the event space of the Double Tree by Hilton hotel.
Pacáková recommends sparing more nights for the festival to enjoy it in full.
“One night is too short for the White Night festival,” she said, referring to the festival premises from Nové Mesto up to the Lafranconi pool at the end of the festival water route, as various performances taking place at exact times.
Sports involvement
It is a challenge for the organisers to present new names, new locations and new themes at each edition of the festival.
“I’m rather glad we have somehow managed this so far,” said Pacáková.
This year they enriched the festival with a sports element.
“What we basically do every year is that we try to bring together different artists, who have different approaches,” said Pacáková.
This time they put together synchronised swimmers, dancers and lighting designers within the inwaterwethrust project.
“It’s a completely different aesthetic than what we’re used to from an artistic background. For synchronised swimmers it’s a completely new experience,” said Pacáková.
Another new locality of this edition is the national football stadium in Nové Mesto. For Pacáková, it was her first visit to the football stadium.
“It was a new experience for me to work with a completely different environment,” said Pacáková.
The Metal Bubble Memories audiovisual performance is a collaboration between Stroon, Martin Gabčo and Antonín Kindl. There will be a live 20-minute performance four times during the weekend. In the meantime, it will be repeated in a loop.
“They will radically change the atmosphere of the stadium,” said Pacáková.
Experiences (not only) for children
For families with children the organisers recommend visiting the Danube embankment, featuring an interactive installation by the Czech artist Ivo Opel and Armenian photographer Suren Manvelyan, named Animals. It invites visitors to experience the natural world through the inquisitive eyes of over 16 animal species, including chimpanzees, mouflons, and caimans. Just like in real life, these animals are sensitive to movement and noise; if visitors are not quiet enough, they may hide or react defensively.
Children can also enjoy a series of short animated films under the auspices of the Fest Anča festival or creative workshops where they can create a luminous plane or brooch.
White Night will move to Košice, where the 15th edition of the event will take place, a week later, from October 11-13.
What you should not miss – Five sites selected by The Slovak Spectator
Where and When
The festival runs in Bratislava from October 4 until 6, with the majority of venues in the city centre and on the Danube embankment, although there will be some in the Nové Mesto borough.
In the city centre, sites include the Lafranconi pool of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports, Comenius University at the Danube embankment, to the National Football Stadium in the Nové Mesto borough, Propeller, Hotel Kyjev, the Slovak Radio inverted pyramid building, and Apollo Bridge, among others.
Most installations will be on display between 19:00 and midnight, but displays of other works and events including live performances, music and dance performances, workshops, public readings or film screenings will take place at various times.
Admission
Most sites are accessible free of charge, but a €15 pass, when bought in advance, or €20 when bought on the spot, will be needed to access 12 specific indoor sites or others with limited capacity. The pass can be purchased online at www.bielanoc.sk. Tickets will be sold during the festival at three locations:
-the Primate’s Palace, Primaciálne Square, Friday-Sunday 17:30 - 24:00
-the lobby of Osobný prístav, the passenger port building, Fajnorovo Nábrežie 2, Friday- Sunday 18:00 - 23:30
-the lobby of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports, Comenius University, Nábrežie armádneho generála Ludvíka Svobodu 9. Friday-Sunday 18:00 - 22:00
Tickets (BN passes) purchased online must be exchanged for a festival wristband at one of the BN Pass Points, where visitors will present the QR code from their online purchase.
A new feature is the ability to purchase a single ticket for the indoor installations using a QR code on-site. The price is €6.
Map
The festival map with details of the locations of all venues, will be available at the festival website and at individual festival sites. Artworks accessible each festival day from 19:00 until 24:00 are marked in green, artworks and events taking place at a specific time are marked in blue, while paid venues are highlighted by pink. The off programme held outside the festival is indicated by grey.
Mobile app
Festival organisers have created the Biela Noc app, both in Slovak and English, for mobile phones, which is available at Google Play and the App Store free of charge. It contains a map, descriptions of works and their creators as well as photographs. The app also provides alerts to possible changes in the festival programme. Organisers recommend checking the festival programme in advance and to choose preferred sites.
Festival route
The popular water route will be extended this year, taking visitors from Apollo Bridge to the Lafranconi pool.
But it is not necessary to visit the venues in the order suggested by the official programme and the map. Visitors can make a route according their private preferences. They can save their favourite places in the app by clicking on the heart icon for individual venues.
City transport
Organisers recommend that visitors leave their cars at home and use the extra public transport provided during festival nights.
What you should not miss – Five sites selected by The Slovak Spectator
The number indicates the number of the artwork on the map
1. BN Label / Connection
Light installation, the Apollo Bridge
October 4-6, 2024: 19:00-00:00
(source: Courtesy of White Night)
This year, the festival’s water route will symbolically bridge not only both shores of Bratislava, but also connect Lanfranconi Bridge with Apollo Bridge. For the first time in the festival’s 10-year history, Apollo Bridge will be brought to life by a light installation created by the BN Label collective.
20. inwaterwethrust / SYNCHROSCOPE
Multi-media performance
The Lafranconi swimming pool, the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports, Comenius University, Nábrežie armádneho generála Ludvíka Svobodu 9
October 4-6, 2024, 20:00, 20:45, 21:30
(source: Courtesy of White Night)
A unique fusion of sports and contemporary art, from literature and sound poetry to dance, music, and lighting design. This visually striking multimedia performance is the result of an interdisciplinary collaboration between synchronised swimmers, dancers, choreographers Monika Thüringerová (coach of the Slovak national team) and Addy (dance), lighting designers from CTRL space studio, poet and performer Zuzana Husárová, the architect Elena Šoltésová, and musician Ľubomír Panák.
Together, they explore the symbolism of the water surface – emergence, distortion, and the submergence of values, thoughts, actions, and relationships. This experimental kaleidoscope of art and sports will be the first of its kind in Slovakia.
25. Guillaume Cousin / Le silence des particules
Multimedia installation
Stará Tržnica, Námestie Nežnej Revolúcie Square
October 4-6, 2024: 19:00-00:00
(source: Courtesy of White Night)
French artist Guillaume Cousin invites visitors to immerse themselves into his smoke multimedia installation grounded in powerful algorithms and an unmissable machine.
29. Ksawery Komputery / ENTER
Interactive light installation
Nádvorie sv. Jána Nepomuka, Laurinská 3
October 4-6, 2024: 19:00-00:00
(source: Courtesy of White Night)
The digital mirror of Polish new media artist Ksawery Komputery invites you to an interaction: an oversized digital avatar tracks the movements, words and sounds of the person in front of it and reflects them through its own audiovisual language.
46. Stroon & Martin Gabčo & Antonín Kindl / Metal Bubble Memories
audiovisual performance / live set, NFŠ - Štadión Tehelné pole, Viktora Tegelhoffa 4 (entrance from the National Tenis Centre)
4.10. 2024, 19:00-00:00 (Live: 20:00, 21:00)
5.10. 2024, 23:00-00:00
6.10. 2024, 19:00-00:00 (Live: 20:00, 21:00)
(source: Courtesy of White Night)
For the first time in White Night’s history, the Tehelné Pole Stadium will become a stage for an audiovisual site-specific installation. Created by Martin Gabčo, it will be in dialogue with original music by Stroon. The latter will provide live performances at regular intervals.
