It has been decided that the 2012 Aarhus Festival theme will be ‘Big - size matters’.
The Festival’s intention with choosing the above theme is to look into a characteristic phenomenon of our present time, viz. that gigantic proportions seem to represent the answer to most challenges – irrespective of whether it’s a question of hospitals, burgers, educational institutions or stadium concerts. That ‘big’ may often be a good answer is beyond doubt, but it might just be worth investigating whether it is always the best one – in terms of quality. In other words we want to examine the relationship between ‘big’ and ‘great’, between quantity and quality.
The theme also has a local focus in that the City of Aarhus has ambitious growth objectives: 75,000 new inhabitants, 50,000 new jobs, new housing facilities for 50,000, and 10,000 new students by 2030. At any rate, if not exactly attaining metropolitan size, Aarhus is to grow bigger. That will give rise to a lot more possibilities, but the question is how we are going to handle this ’bigger’ size so that it will also be great.
We would also like to show that ’many a little might make a mickle’ (≈ many small amounts accumulating to make a large amount), and that it’s possible to contribute to a community without abandoning one’s individuality. The leading principle of the 2012 Festival is to make things bigger – e.g. a smallish big city – by means of co-operation. This does not have to be between those who already share similar characteristics, but preferably between those who do not know that they might supplement each other. Inspired by the many volunteers who contribute their individual qualifications and high spirits to the Festival each year, we want to make room for quality joint enterprises of every possible kind.
In co-operation with architects, designers and local politicians we would like to actualize various thoughts and ideas 1:1, and so turn them from something abstract into something that actually exists in the urban space. This will give the city and its citizens an opportunity to see for themselves the kind of new initiatives that generate widespread enthusiasm or much debate such as e.g. the green wood or the record long red sofa which formed part of the Festival experience during recent years. Furthermore, this theme also occasions us to take a look at great scientific discoveries, great works of literature, greatness of mind, big egos, etc., etc. Size matters we claim and write ‘big’ in small letters, and so we may take a closer look at how dimensions affect our way of perceiving things, a thought, a work of art.
All that is known to us as big began in a small way – big cities, great art, major festivals, and major differences. More than anything else, we would like to use the ‘big’ theme to remind you about the fact that one does not need to be small-minded just because small is beautiful. We are looking forward to a Festival when it will be allowed to play around with the size concept, and we invite everyone great and small to play along.
Theme
