A unique new initiative, which aims to make Cardiff a world leader in art and culture, has been launched.
Cardiff Contemporary is a Cardiff Council initiative developed in partnership with Cardiff’s visual art, design and architecture communities which aims to use the whole city as a gallery space.
The city-wide project will create a sustainable city environment that encourages and celebrates contemporary creative talent.
Cardiff Council leader Rodney Berman launched the initiative last Friday in front of leading figures in the creative and arts community.
Giving a speech which stressed the importance of Cardiff becoming an innovative European City for Contemporary Art, Cllr Berman talked about how art and culture can make a city a great place to live.
He said: “Culture brings a city to life. Cardiff Contemporary is to create a unique collaborative environment that will, over the next five years, make Cardiff an internationally renowned capital city for the support of creative practice, all based upon concept of using the city itself as the gallery.
“This means the city becoming a gallery that covers parks, public places, city squares, civic buildings, shops, businesses, and well, anywhere really.”
Working with artists Cardiff Contemporary will identify opportunities across the city to meet this concept, with exciting events and festivals planned over the next few months promoting the project.
These will include Wales’ first ever artist film festival where films will be screened in unusual locations across the city, including projections onto buildings.
The ‘Made in Roath’ arts festival is another event that will be taking place, bringing art out of the gallery and into the community..
Cllr Berman, said: “Through this initiative we want to secure a reputation alongside world class cities that fully embrace and support contemporary art and design – New York, Chicago, Berlin and Barcelona – places that are seen as different and having a creative edge.
“Cardiff has always demonstrated it is a creative city – just look at the number of musicians and actors we have produced over the years. Together we can make Cardiff a truly unique destination for contemporary arts and culture.”
