Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana – an incubator of change
From the 8th of September to the 24th of November 2024, Barcelona and eleven other cities in the metropolitan area will host one of the most anticipated cultural events in Europe – Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana.
Known as the European Nomadic Biennial, Manifesta is a prestigious contemporary art biennial that shifts to a new location every two years, reflecting on the social, political, and cultural contexts of its host city. For its 15th edition, it’s coming to Barcelona’s metropolitan area with the aim to make citizens more proactive in achieving a socio-ecological transition in Catalonia.
Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana
What is Manifesta?
Manifesta was founded in 1996 as a response to the rapidly changing social landscape in Europe after the Cold War and the subsequent steps towards European integration.
Manifesta’s mission
Manifesta reshapes the relations between culture and society by investigating and enforcing positive social change in Europe through art, architecture and urbanism with the help of the communities of its Host Cities.
Their nomadic role challenges them to look at the world through the eyes of their Host Cities, generating new visions and perspectives. Manifesta empowers citizens, art communities and cities to rethink the way we live, work and communicate (and shape a future together).
Their approach
Every two years they invite European cities to develop a bid for a future edition of Manifesta. Then, Manifesta selects a new Host City after a competitive bidding process, four to six years in advance of the edition taking place. The bidding process is open to any European city, region, island or multiple-city candidate.
They explore the geographical, cultural and socio-political DNA of Europe from a local perspective. As a platform of co-creation, they connect a diverse group of artists, urbanists and thinkers with local citizens and grass-root communities to tackle societal questions raised by the Host City, which will take place over a period of two or more years.
Manifesta plans and collaborates with host cities and local institutions through a wide range of studies, publications, meetings, debates and lectures to develop a conceptual framework during the pre-biennial phase, followed by the announcement of exhibitions, projects, and selected artists.
The final three-month program will feature exhibitions, performances, cultural events, lectures, workshops, and public programs and they will bring together not only visual artists but also architects, activists, filmmakers, and academics, creating projects that reflect on real-world issues through the lens of art.
Previous editions
Previous editions have taken place in cities like Marseille, Zurich, and Rotterdam.
Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana
In November 2020 Barcelona Metropolitana was selected as the host city for Manifesta 15, offering a unique opportunity for the region to connect through contemporary art. This edition will focus on personal, social and environmental sustainability.
Why Barcelona Metropolitana
In the past years, numerous factors have impacted the urban development of Barcelona. These include: the fast gentrification of the coastline and natural areas, the use of land for real estate development, the introduction of the Super Block model and the use of land for industrial transformation. City expansion is limited due to the natural barriers of the rivers, the sea and the mountains. However, rural and/or protected land are at risk because of the expansion of economic developments.
The bid of Barcelona and its metropolitan area to host the 15th edition of Manifesta is also the result of the implementation of one of the lines of action in Barcelona City Council’s Cultural Rights Plan. This plan was approved on 30th April 2021 and includes 100 projects with budget of around €68.7 million.
Goals of Manifesta 15
Manifesta 15’s aim is to be a project for cultural creation and exhibition that aims to be an interdisciplinary platform for social change and decentralisation of culture.
- Reshape the relations between art, culture and society by investigating and enforcing socio-ecological change.
- Enhance the metropolitan vision of Barcelona, establishing a single cultural map of the city and the metropolitan area that will last over time.
- Rethink the concepts of ‘centre’ and ‘periphery’ in order to build a network of multiple centres and connected communities.
- Make Barcelona and the metropolitan area a leader in education and art mediation.
- Expand cultural rights and ensure equal access to culture for all, regardless of social class, ethnicity, or economic status.
Public engagement and local involvement
Manifesta is known for its focus on public participation. Residents of Barcelona’s metropolitan area have opportunities to directly engage with the artists and contribute to the conversations that the biennial sparks. This may include community-driven art projects, discussions, and educational workshops.
Some examples:
- Jin Choi & Thomas Shine extended an invitation to take part in a collective crochet initiative during the month of June and July 2024. This installation is showcased in September at The Three Chimneys
- Not Illegal Fishing Competition in the Llobregat River in July 2024
Not only this, but Manifesta has created a new framework for social and ecological research, actions and interventions that are being established with ten research participants across the metropolitan region of Barcelona. In the pre-biennial phase, starting over a year before the biennial officially opens, the selected participants investigated specific thematic components in the three interconnected nodes identified by the Manifesta 15 team: along the Besòs river, the Llobregat delta and in the Collserola mountain range.
Sustainability as a core value
Environmental sustainability is at at the heart of Manifesta. Organisers are committed to minimising the environmental impact of the biennial, and many of the artworks and installations are expected to address issues like climate change and urban resilience.
The biennial
From the 8th of September to the 24th of November 2024, Manifesta works in extraordinary venues which are symbolic of the thematic and conceptual approach of the edition. The biennial includes new, local perspectives to the ever-changing fabric and histories of the region. They aim of the final 3 months biennal is to reach a total audience of 200,000 individual visitors and 1,000,000 visits (80% local, 20% international).
The biennial: the programme
The Biennial will offer a variety of artistic interventions, public events, and participatory projects that engage with both the city’s rich cultural heritage and its contemporary struggles. This means that rather than being confined to galleries, exhibitions will pop up in public squares, abandoned factories, and neighborhoods outside the city center, fostering dialogue with the local population.
Explore the ongoing events of Manifesta 15 from 8th September to 24th November across the Barcelona metropolitan region. Still to come there are 298 events and 105 installations spread across 12 cities and 16 unique venues.
12 cities
Badalona, Barcelona, Cornellà del Llobregat, El Prat del Llobregat, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Granollers, Mataró, Sabadell, Sant Adrià deBesòs, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Santa Coloma de Gramenet and Terrassa
Clusters
To help you narrow down your choice, Manifesta 15 events are also organised into 3 different ‘clusters’:
Cure and Care
Highlighting the healing power of the arts and environmental conservation in the Collserola mountain range and Vallès region, including cities such as Granollers, Sabadell, Sant Cugat, and Terrassa.
Imagining Futures
Emphasising cultural change and sustainability around the Besòs River and industrial heritage, with participation from Badalona, Mataró, Santa Coloma, and Sant Adrià de Besòs.
Balancing Conflicts
Focus on preserving the Llobregat Delta’s ecology while promoting sustainable urban development in areas like Cornellà, El Prat, and L’Hospitalet de Llobregat.
16 unique venues
Four of the venues are opening to the public for the very first time (The Three Chimneys, Casa Gomis, GustavoGili and La Caldereria).
Partcipants (exhibitors - artists)
- 92 participants with 58% of them producing newly commissioned works.
- 39% local participants (based in or from the region, 46% female, 36% male, 18% collectives)
Focus Weeks
Introducing the Manifesta 15 Focus Weeks, where each week showcases the cultural heritage and history of a different city during the biennale. The Manifesta 15 Mobile Venue – a sustainably designed hub built by students from IAAC (Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia) – will visit the central squares of these cities. This mobile space will host a variety of community-driven events and activities in partnership with local municipalities, offering an exciting platform for cultural exchange throughout the biennale. Its arrival will signify the start of each Focus Week.
Manifesta 15+
Manifesta 15+ is a program that improves the cultural offerings in the participating municipalities of Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana. Local Artistic Representatives lead the program, showcasing the region’s cultural richness through various activities such as exhibitions, festivals, screenings, discussions, concerts, and tours.
Map
Use the detailed map to navigate the full array of installations and events throughout the region.
Get Involved
Manifesta 15 invites both locals and visitors to become part of the dialogue. Whether by participating in public art projects, attending discussions, or simply exploring the diverse array of installations, everyone can engage with the issues and ideas shaping Barcelona Metropolitana.
Don’t miss your chance to be part of a cultural movement that merges art, activism, and the future of urban living. Manifesta 15 promises to transform Barcelona’s metropolitan area into a canvas for creativity, connection, and change.
Will you be there to experience it?
Tickets
Manifesta 15 will have a all-inclusive ticket price of €15, valid for the entire duration of the biennial at the three leading venues: Casa Gomis, the Monastery of Sant Cugat, and the Three Chimneys. Admission to all other venues will be free.
To make your visit to more enjoyable, Manifesta offer a variety of discounts on transport and tickets, visit their website for more information.
Follow up
Manifesta 15´s core mission is not merely to visualise ideologies and poetic representations, but to catalyse a series of concrete ‘Calls to Action’ (next steps) that will shape the future of the Barcelona metropolitan region.
Next steps...
- The need to reinforce long-term investments in the cultural sector within the metropolitan region.
- To ensure that art is not merely regarded as a hobby, but recognised as a potential economic driver.
- To develop initiatives that enable residents to fully experience and enjoy the expanse of their cities, such as projects in Barcelona aimed at connecting the two rivers. In the coming months, Manifesta 15 will host a Bicicletada (bike ride) from river to river.
- To establish safe spaces that celebrate diversity and foster connection, especially in cultural spaces and public life, with particular focus on marginalised groups.
- To invest in a green, interconnected mobility infrastructure across the region.
- To strengthen educational projects which cultivate an appreciation for our natural environments, while re-evaluating which historical pedagogical tools should inform contemporary education.
- To safeguard heritage buildings for public use, with the ambition to reclaim public spaces for the communities who helped create them.
- To support diverse institutions and cultural practices in recognising our rivers, seas, mountains, trees, and species as legal entities, granting them rights as non-human actors.
- To fund and provide access to cultural practitioners dedicated to archival research of overlooked histories and repressed genealogies, such as those showcased here today.
- To rediscover the concept of the “Commons” as a space of hope.
This Manifesta 15 aims to mark the beginning of something transformative – carried forward by the groups and individuals they’ve collaborated with, from local residents to community leaders. Together, we can build alternative networks that support eco-social transition and foster critical reflection. Manifesta 15 aspires to serve merely as an incubator for this change.
Add a comment