BECAUSE IT’S EUROVISION

An Ever-Expanding Map for the European Flâneur

How the European Capital of Culture fuses diversification and unity together Orlaith Roe

In 1985, Melina Mercouri, Greece’s Minister of Culture, floated a simple idea to her European colleagues. Mercouri, along with her French counterpart Jack Lang, gave birth to an initiative that would in time flourish into a greater homogenisation, or rather, diversification, of European culture. The very first European Capital of Culture (ECOC), Athens no less, was designated thirty-six years ago. While in its early years ECOC was more symbolic than anything else, today it possesses the ability to transform local industries, platform diverse European cultures, and promote urban regeneration and renewal. With the post-millennium European Union (EU) expansions, it has consequently led to a much-needed broadening in what we perceive to be European, and the shaping of a shared culture.

With travel on hold for most of the previous year and the foreseeable future, I have turned to the aid of travel literature and the tales of the flâneur to fulfil my longing for adventure. Walking through the eerily empty streets of Amsterdam has brought to my attention the gems of the historic city centre like never before.

Glancing my head upwards has unveiled architectural wonders, sitting on canal-side benches has been something a kin to a film unfolding before my eyes, and each and every street strolled down has presented itself to me in ways I never thought possible; it is a small silver lining in what has been an incredibly dark and difficult year. While the pandemic has paused the cultural celebrations of the yearly ECOC festivities, I have nonetheless found myself marvelling at the possibilities of travelling in the company of a cultural map, dotted with both central and peripheral locations, regenerated destinations, and the presentation of a local history through an artistic lens. Recently I scrolled through the list of designated ECOC cities, from Athens in 1985, to the Croatian city of Rijeka and my hometown of Galway sharing the title in 2020, I was hit with a renewed curiosity to explore.

As a continent, Europe possesses a sprawling cultural and linguistic diversity within a small geographic area. Indeed, the EU comprises an important part for some countries within Europe in regard to identity, but European culture extends beyond those select nations and institutions. ECOC in itself can act as the steppingstone for the European traveller to explore their own continent; through the recognition of ECOC destinations, one could find themselves branching out to regions and cultures that lie a long journey from Brussels.

“If one looks hard enough, wanders far enough, the joys of a hidden culture will reveal themselves”

Initiatives such as ECOC and the Erasmus programme are all facets of a wider European culture, contributors to a shared diversity. The promotion of local culture and art through the platform offered by the likes of ECOC further assists in the understanding and acquirement of empathy in relation to other languages, customs, and ideas. In a time of empty trains, ghostly streets, and quiet city centres, it is important to remind ourselves of the wonderfully colourful education that is on offer to us by travelling through the close-by worlds that lie on our European doorstep. For the modern-day flâneur, it is easy to get caught up in the growing commercial aspects and business-like nature of our surroundings, but if one looks hard enough, wanders far enough, the joys of a hidden culture will reveal themselves to you. The 1992 designated ECOC, Madrid, finds itself situated on the meseta, and has flourished in the years after 1992 into a leading cultural hub of Europe. Starting at the Plaza Mayor, you can stroll aimlessly through the city’s streets, moving through central shopping districts into quieter leafy areas, and winding up at the Museo del Prado to take in the works of Velázquez and Goya. Loop back around when the evening sun starts to feign and immerse yourself in the warmth of some churros con chocolate at the Chocolatería de San Ginés. There are countless exhibitions detailing life under the reign of Franco, and subsequently the burgeoning film scene that emerged against the cultural suppression of his dictatorship. Then again, one can simply lounge on a street corner with a cortado, soaking up the movement of the city amidst hot pavements. Roam with as much curiosity in Stockholm (1992), Avignon (1999), Patras (2006), or Sibiu (2007). The inspiration for train routes and

ferry rides are endless. I found myself mulling over the prospects of an adventure and education to Reykjavík (2000) or Stavanger (2008). How will I get there? What might I stumble upon? Who will I meet? What useful phrases can I equip myself with? During motionless times such are these, my mind considered every possibility. Stemming from the works of Charles Baudelaire, the flâneur is that very “kaleidoscope gifted with consciousness”, a sauntering wanderer in motion and in sync with its surroundings. With a little inspiration from ECOC destinations and student programmes such as Erasmus, the nudge of encouragement enables for adventure. With this journey comes a mosaic of learning and enrichment; in all its diversity, there is a unity to the ever-expanding culture of Europe. What Mercouri floated as an idea back in 1985 has developed into a bridging of identities and communities in the form of ECOC. For many of us, the reaches of Europe’s geography are endless, and we can often feel overwhelmed by the many cultures, languages, and experiences. But to feel European does not have to mean to be the same as your neighbour or even the country situated at the opposite periphery to your own. Rather, the difference and diversity that is the inner makeup of Europe’s core should be embraced. That is perhaps the greatest uniting quality of a European culture, the glue that gently pieces together a collage of changing tiles. Skimming over the ECOC cities once again, you are suddenly guided through the vibrancy of Europe’s landmass, the hidden gems of an ever-expanding map for the flâneur. Whether you will soon find yourself ambling over the River Lee via St. Patrick’s Bridge in Cork (2005) or marvelling at the beaty of the Old Town in Plovdiv (2019), the consciousness of Baudelaire’s kaleidoscope will surely help you find your way.