Barcelona Brings Together a Hundred Thinkers at the Biennial of Thought

The Biennial of Thought returns to Barcelona from October 13 to 18 with the theme 'Unleashing the Present'. A hundred international voices will debate democracy, cities, conflicts, inequalities, and art.

From October 13 to 18, Barcelona will be the stage for a new edition of the Biennial of Thought, organised by the Institut de Cultura. The event will turn the city into a space for conversation and reflection on the major current challenges.

This year's theme is “Unleashing the Present” and the curators are Marina Garcés and Albert Lladó, coordinators of the School of Thought; Elisabet Goula, head of the debate programme at the CCCB; Rafael Vilasanjuan, director of translation and impact at IS Global; and Mireia Calafell and Berta Subirats, co-directors of La Sullivan.

The programme will feature around a hundred thinkers, writers, artists, and activists. Confirmed participants include Alessandro Baricco, Lilian Thuram, Angélica Liddell, Mariana Enríquez, Wendy Brown, Felwine Sarr, Patrick Radden Keefe, José Luis Guerín, Fina Birulés, Jean-Philippe Kindler, Xiaolu Guo, Juan Mayorga, Maryam Madjidi, and Chantal Maillard.

The debates will be structured around five thematic axes. The first will address issues facing contemporary democracies, such as the deterioration of democratic quality, polarization, hate speech, and misinformation.

The second axis will focus on cities as a stage for major changes, with questions about access to decent housing, the transformation of public space, and urban inequalities. Models of coexistence and urban policies in the Global North and South will be analysed.

The third block will discuss living in a world marked by conflict, with special attention to Ukraine, Palestine, and other war-torn territories. Discussions will cover forced displacements, traumatic memories, and mechanisms of reconstruction and solidarity.

The fourth axis will give voice to voices that challenge the centre, incorporating perspectives from diverse geographical and cultural contexts. Topics will include migrations, identities in the diaspora, colonial legacies, and linguistic plurality.

The fifth axis will address the material conditions of contemporary life, such as job precariousness, uncertainty, education, mental health, and inequalities in a context of rapid change.

The arts will play a central role in the Biennial, with literature, theatre, film, and music as ways to understand the world. Many creators have focused their works on memory, violence, identities, and shared imaginaries.

To consult the full programme and obtain more information, you can visit the official website of the Biennial of Thought.