The “Locks on Bega” initiative starts in 2023 with a new vision for the canal that connects us to Serbia
The “Ecluze pe Bega / Conexiuni culturale” project aims to continue the activities started last year, at that time testing the realization of cultural, ecological and economic connections between Timișoara and the territory in the vicinity, up to the border with Serbia. This year's initiative, proposed by the association between the DALA Foundation, the architecture office D Proiect and the Timișoara D'arc club, has as its main purpose the discussion of the resumption of navigation on the Bega, along the entire length of the canal and the strengthening of Timișoara's position as a pole and cultural port in the region.
1732 was the year in which the first ship traveled on the Bega, carrying goods from Timișoara to Pancevo. For more than 200 years, the Beghe has united communities and territories, with a peak in the interwar period, when more than 500,000 passengers and 250,000 tons of goods traveled on the Bega with various commercial or cruise ships.
This year's project unites the forces of 14 national and international partners – public institutions, NGOs, artists and specialists from different fields who will propose a new vision for the cultural corridor defined by the Bega canal, from the Timișoara Hydroelectric Plant to the elbow of discharge into the Tisa, at the Titel citadel. The initiative represents a mix of cultural, educational and extra-cultural activities that bring together professionals from fields such as arts, architecture, biodiversity, education or urban planning, with the aim of generating a model for capitalizing, promoting and monitoring the green-blue corridor.
“Ecluze pe Bega / Conexiuni culturale” will take place throughout 2023, proposing 10 distinct activities, addressed to a wide and diversified audience. The events, workshops, discussion sessions or art installations that will be proposed within the project are organized in a modular system, with distinct themes for each month, which accumulate information along the way and centralize them in a final catalog, made in excellent graphic conditions . This catalog will be an encyclopedia of the Bega Canal and a handbook of good practice on reporting on the river and how natural and human heritage should be understood and respected.
The THEORY gathers in the discussion sessions on various topics local and international specialists with extensive experience in protecting natural habitats, biodiversity, landscaping, architecture or design, who will address topics that highlight the particularities of the region and identify ways to strengthen the relationship between people and bad.
The WORKSHOP emphasizes the dialogue between the observer and the specialist, developing the concept of citizen science, where the project will focus on the transfer of information, knowledge and skills to the general public, with the aim of achieving a cultural mediation and developing a dialogue.
The OBJECT will represent the artistic expression in contemporary language and the interpretation in personal vision of the artists who will produce art installations in relation to the water and the banks of Bega and will urge the public to discover them.
The SHOW will represent the moment of celebration and recognition of the values of this project, but also a form of opening to the general public and strengthening the relationship with Serbia – bands and DJs from the two countries will offer electrifying performances.
The EpB2023 project can contribute decisively to increasing the international profile, by attracting tourists and participants from abroad to the cultural and artistic events organized within it. Moreover, the involvement of international artists and specialists in the initiative brings a diverse perspective, forming links and strengthening interdisciplinary artistic and cultural practices. Restoring the water link with Serbia can stimulate cross-border tourism and cultural and economic exchanges, harnessing the artistic, cultural and economic potential of the Bega River and fostering collaboration between different sectors and fields.
The project starts on May 5, with the first exploration of the body of water, on the route Timișoara – Uivar, using the Pelican, the symbol of Timișoara. The vessel will transform during this year into an art and science laboratory, respectively a cultural platform for the promotion and capitalization of a process of reflection on the information gathered over many years of study and research. Sonar scanning of the lower Bega River bed, 3D scanning of landscape components, equipment to monitor ecosystem components are just some of the tools the Pelican will be carrying on its future journeys. Using technology, a data processing and interpretation workshop will be carried out, which will be translated into a final artistic exhibition, in a form accessible to the general public.
On May 6th we will celebrate the debut of the Locks on Bega project with an electrifying concert with our Timișoara residents from Blazzaj. It will be a concert on the move, with the band playing from the Pelican for the public on the banks, on the route Podul Eroilor (Gara de Nord) – Podul Decebal (Băile Neptun) – Ponton D'arc pe Mal. We will document all this time and we will discover places in the Iosefin and Fabric neighborhoods that can constitute elements of cultural infrastructure on the water in the future.
