Klara Eklund at the Opening of Gothenburg Fringe 2024 and the Preview Night at Konstepidemin.
Shamik asks politely if he is supposed to show his ticket to someone. I don't really know so I say “eeh no, I guess you can just sit down and relax for a bit”. He looks so kind and innocent and I can't see how he can do anyone any harm. I want him to have the best of seats for the Preview Night no.1 in the not-so-posh venue Hus 8 in Konstepidemin.
I recognise the special Fringe glow in his eyes, that of curious but unpretentious expectations. It is the night of the Gothenburg Fringe Festival opening and more than 20 artists will give a three-minute preview of their shows, a good help to navigate in the sea of outstanding performances.
Shamik is eager to share which shows he will go to and asks for some good tips. He is in Gothenburg for studies, recently registered for the international master's programme in design at HDK-Valand. He is curious about Scandinavian culture and maybe some of the acts during the festival might show him some hints about it?
I don't say it out loud, but in my head a more old-school solution on how to gather facts pops up. Why not go to the nearest library looking for books on Scandinavian history and religion? But Shamik's idea seems much more fresh.
“Anders Falstie-Jensen/ the Rebel Alliance's Back to Square One? seems to invite the audience to the Ragnarok for instance,” Shamik says.
After the fabulous 3 minute presentation of the show on the Preview Night no 1, I am convinced that Anders Falstie-Jensen from New Zealand, telling stories of his Danish grandmother weaving in the myth of Ragnarok only using a piece of chalk to draw on the floor, will invite Shamik to Scandinavian culture in the best of ways.
Finally I ask Shamik how he heard about the festival. Oh, it was at Gothenburg University's Welcome Fair the other day, Gothenburg Fringe had by far the most well-designed and striking table!
We agree that the designer of the festival logo is a genius. Everything is warm and welcoming, both the patterns and the colors. You just want to dive in!
This is a festival about culture, but minus the snobbery plus the big heart. Open-minded people of Gothenburg, united in a warm and welcoming community. I guess the recipe for the Gothenburg Fringe festival is a skeleton of hard-working organisers, fund-seekers and enablers of all sorts mixed with a river of fresh ideas, grit and energy, and, on top of that, the pulsating flow of artists and visitors who make the festival come alive and make people create miracles.
Gothenburg Fringe 2024 runs from 30 August until 8 September. Get your tickets on gbgfringe.com.
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