Manifesta 15 Barcelona to Span Metropolitan Area with Three Nodes

The 15th edition of the nomadic biennial Manifesta will take place in Barcelona and its metropolitan area in 2024. Curator Sergio Pardo and director Hedwig Fijen outlined the plans, which cover a vast territory triangulated into three nodes: one near the Besòs river extending to Badalona, Santa Coloma de Gramanet, Sant Adrià de Besòs, and Mataró; a second in the Llobregat delta between El Prat, Cornellà, and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat; and a third in the Collserola mountains. These areas are undergoing major urban transformations. The former Gustavo Gili publishing house in the city center will serve as a hub connecting the nodes, functioning as a laboratory for works and activities. The biennial will focus on eco-social themes, including imagining the future, managing conflicts, and the impact of superilles (pedestrian-friendly blocks). Participants were selected from interdisciplinary researchers in art and science addressing global ecological and social issues. Fijen emphasized co-production with other biennials to reduce pressure on artists. Pardo noted Barcelona's unique dynamism and its transformation since the 1992 Olympics, including gentrification, improved infrastructure, and mass tourism. The biennial aims to foster a new institutional framework incorporating Barcelona and ten metropolitan cities, promoting collective work in urbanism, education, mediation, and artistic interventions.