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Manifesta 15: Balance and impact of a decentralized biennial
The biennial promotes decentralization, local memory and citizen participation as key axes of the cultural future.
For twelve weeks, twelve cities in the metropolitan area of Barcelona became the stage for Manifesta 15, the European biennial that advocates the decentralization of cultural infrastructures and activities. Closing on November 24, 2024, the Barcelona edition of Manifesta has not only been an event on the cultural agenda, but also a further step in the way of thinking about culture from a collective and territorial perspective. With the support of the Barcelona City Council and the International Foundation Manifesta, and with funding from the Generalitat, the Provincial Council and the Ministry of Culture, the project has gone beyond temporary exhibitions.
As is customary in previous editions, the organization commissioned an independent public survey to measure the scope and real impact of the biennial. This study, carried out by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, has allowed to quantify the impressions of the public and examine their visiting habits. Almost 300,000 attendances were registered and an average of nearly four venues visited per person. The data indicate that 85.4% of attendees were residents of the metropolitan region and the overall assessment was quite positive, with more than 91% of participants being very or quite satisfied with the experience.
Fanja Bouts, A Largely Distorted yet Surprisingly Ordered Map of Regular Irregularities: A Dense Description of The Present Day History of The Future. Monestir de Sant Cugat. © Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana / Lluís Tudela
Shortly after the end of the biennial, in January 2025, the purchase of Casa Gomis by the Ministry of Culture , with an investment of 7.2 million euros, means that the building will become a green and cultural space managed by the MNAC. The Tres Xemeneies site also has guaranteed continuity , as it will host the World Congress of Architects in 2026 and, later, will be transformed into the headquarters of Catalunya Media City. Among the outstanding material milestones, actions such as the restoration of heritage elements, the expansion of access to the municipal archives, the reuse and transfer of materials, and the publication of new content generated during the project are included.
One of the clear bets has also been working with archives and local memory. Spaces such as the former Gustavo Gili publishing house or the Tres Xemeneies themselves have hosted proposals that give prominence to often forgotten stories. A good example of this is Fora per fer escola, an initiative that focused, among other issues, on analyzing a mobilization that emerged in Barcelona between 1976 and 1977, in the midst of a period of transition, to demand a dignified and accessible public education. As a result of this research, the artist Anaïs Florin decided to donate all of her work to the Roquetes–Nou Barris Historical Archive, where it is now available for public consultation.
Agápē, taller conduït per Paisanaje a la Casa Gomis. © Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana / Helena Roig
It is also worth highlighting the exhibition Arxius Negres, curated by Tania Safura Adam and developed within the framework of Manifesta 15, which has meant a before and after in the programming. This initiative has given rise to the first publication of a collection dedicated to Afro-descendant memories and their treatment by institutions , putting back on the table the necessary debate on how the stories of the African diaspora are documented, preserved and narrated in the Catalan context.
The results, however, cannot be measured only in numbers of visits or publications. The organization emphasizes that the biennial has contributed to strengthening relations between municipalities and creating partnerships that could continue in future initiatives. It has also served to demonstrate how a decentralized model can favor new ways of citizen participation and commitment.
Exposició Arxius Negres © Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana / Helena Roig, 2024
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