By Nekane Aramburu

1. When Women Strike the World Stops, 2020 © Claire Fontaine, Vegap, Barcelona 2024. Photo © Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana / Ivan Erofeev
Every two years since 1993, the International Foundation Manifesta has moved to a different European city, where, funded by local public institutions, it organizes a series of ephemeral exhibitions in venues not specifically dedicated to art. Defined as a “Nomadic European Biennale,” this private project has focused on developing its artistic-cultural strategies in Barcelona, spanning various cities within its metropolitan region. Manifesta typically promotes its actions based on grounding itself in local issues, introducing innovative contributions from contemporary art. However, the program displayed uneven development in this edition and in previous ones held in Spain (San Sebastián, Manifesta 5 in 2002, and Murcia in 2010, Manifesta 8).
This phenomenon invites reflection on the metaphor coined by Víctor Albarracín, the “Alka-Seltzer Effect,” which underscores how the effervescence disappears once the project concludes. Despite these critiques, some circles within the gallery world fondly recall the professional tours, which provide opportunities to connect with new artists. This is another equation of such events: to showcase and to recognize. In other words, it is about promoting creators already endorsed by the system while bringing new talents into the spotlight.

2. The Three Chimneys, Sant Adrià del Besòs. Photo © Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana | Arnau Rovira
This edition of Manifesta is characterized as “the largest ever organized,” though the fragmentation of exhibition proposals remains an inherent feature of its format. In the press release, the organizers emphasize that “the physical decentralization of Manifesta 15 across the metropolitan region is linked to the democratization of decision-making.” Thus, the event expanded from Barcelona to 11 cities, with 16 venues in total (Badalona, Cornellà de Llobregat, El Prat de Llobregat, Granollers, L’Hospitalet, Mataró, Sabadell, Sant Adrià de Besòs, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Sant Cugat del Vallès, and Terrassa). Beyond traditional exhibitions, the event sought to generate modes of assembly-based participation with different collectives, aiming to address socio-ecological issues jointly. This approach aligns with the fact that negotiations for this edition were made five years ago with Barcelona’s prior mayor, Ada Colau, who was mainly engaged in social activism, a path already well-rooted in the local context.




3. ARXIUS NEGRES: Fragments of an anticolonial metropolis, Installation view2024 © Tania Safura Adam. Photo © Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana / Ivan Erofeev
According to official data, the total expenditure for the edition amounted to 8.9 million euros, primarily funded by the City of Barcelona (5.2 million euros), the Generalitat of Catalonia (1 million euros), the Diputació de Barcelona (1.2 million euros), and the Ministry of Culture (500,000 euros).
When considering the practical aspects that marked the temporary presence of the project in Barcelona, it is worth highlighting that the artistic selection was impeccable. It alternated the usual biennial formula of historically recognized names established by the art world with lesser-known artists. The other curatorial axes subtly balanced the trends that often pervade such events. This manifested in an appropriate blend of postcolonial commitment, gender, and transgender balance, favoring the presence of women artists, as well as collective productions focused on social mediation and environmental sustainability. All of this was presented measured and subtly, avoiding the pitfalls of overtly propagandistic approaches. It is essential to recall that both colonial and feminist theories have become consumable products for institutional capitalism.

4. Ocean Bird (Washup), 1974 © Ana Mendieta, Vegap, Barcelona, 2024. Photo © Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana / Ivan Erofeev.

5. Relació del cos amb elements naturals. El Cos Cobert de Palla [Relationship of the body with natural elements. The body covered with straw], 1975 © Fina Miralles. Photo © Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana / Ivan Erofeev
Conceptually, the project was structured around three main axes: Balancing Conflicts, Caring and Caring for Ourselves, and Imagining Futures, which were geographically linked to the selected venues hosting the exhibitions.
The central venue for Manifesta was the former Editorial Gili (Image 9), an outstanding example of 1950s Catalan architecture. This space housed several politically-driven documentary works, such as those by Daniela Ortiz and José Quiroga, highlighting colonial traces in Barcelona through commemorative plaques and historical buildings. Also featured were archival legacies focused on specific themes, such as Fora per fer escola: Radical Practices in Catalan Pedagogies, Escola de Passats: Barcelona and Radical Political Imagination, and Arxius Negres(Images Set 3): Fragments of an Anticolonial Metropolis, orchestrated by the Education and Mediation Department of Manifesta. The building’s imposing architectural structure somewhat overshadowed the archival selections, although particular emphasis was placed on the experimental schools of early 20th-century Catalonia.
Another venue that surprised visitors with its exceptional rationalist architecture was Casa Gomis in El Prat de Llobregat, also known as La Ricarda. Located within the Balancing Conflicts axis, this site showcased a blend of renowned pieces, such as those by Ana Mendieta and Fina Miralles (Images 4 y 5), alongside new projects like The Last Primeval Forests of Europe by Anca Benera and Arnold Esteban, focused on the Carpathian forests of Romania. Other works included those exploring the human-animal transformation by Annette Barcelo (Image 6) and a study on the Catalan naturalist movement by Els Amics del Sol and Lola Lasurt in their piece Heliofilia.

6. Es Geht Um Die Frisur [It’s all about the hairstyle], 2023 © Annette Barcelo. Photo © Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana / Ivan Erofeev
However, Las Tres Chimeneas (Image 2) was the venue that truly captivated and acted like a magnet, where the theme Imagining Futures came to life. Now an iconic location for this edition of Manifesta, the thermal power plant in Sant Adrià de Besòs was opened to the public for the first time as an industrial cathedral for large-scale installations. The visual scale of works commissioned specifically for the site was amplified, such as Yield by Diana Scherer (Image 7), who designed a large tapestry using a pattern forged with cellular plant structures and elements of locally made chintz fabric. Other iconic works were displayed, including Claire Fontaine’s classic When Women Strike the World Stops (Image 1), which visually crowned the upper floor. In certain areas, visitors could explore the mapping of Sant Adrià’s social and industrial history.
Notably, at most venues, a free newspaper publication was available, the result of the dedication of one of the selected artists in the open call: Nora Ancarola (Images set 8). Her project, titled #lamevaripollet: Exploration of the Urban Fragilities of Ripollet, was carried out at Cal Quitèria in Ripollet. Nora’s initiative successfully wove a truly participatory project conceived with and for the community, addressing local social and urban issues. The local population was invited to voice concerns about mobility, healthcare, education, and culture, integrating historical archives of previous local collective actions into the exhibition.

7. Yield, 2024 © Diana Scherer. Photo © Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana / Ivan Erofeev
One of the exhibition areas allowed visitors to delve into the work of three women from different generations, navigating urban zones with particular complexity. Among the prominent proposals was the musical project by Salma Llovet and Silvia Balaguer, related to the artist’s urban tours revisiting Ripollet. In another space, visibility was given to the collective Punt6 (feminist architecture and urbanism) and their collaboration with Anna Puertas, as well as the performative work by José Antonio Delgado, created with the Sociedad Coral “El Vallès” and Ángeles Abad. Thus, mediation and citizen participation were authentically integrated and tested through the context and the visitors themselves, who became part of the exhibition proposal through an interactive game designed to prompt the question: “What do you need in your city? Imagine you could propose transformative ideas alone or in company. What excites you?” Simultaneously, intense guided tours and urban routes at dusk between Sant Cugat and Ripollet were organized, becoming a mediation tool that allowed and continues to allow, the transmission of real issues faced by the context.




8.El somni i el malson [The Dream and the Nightmare], 2024 © Nora Ancarola, Vegap, Barcelona 2024. Photo © Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana / Cecília Coca | Let’s play, 2024 © Nora Ancarola. Photo © Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana / Cecília Coca
This project employs artistic languages (intertwined with feminist and dissident visual arts) but places them in a secondary role to highlight what occurs in the realm of reality, in synesthesia with its rhythms and demands. The return to the community with which the project worked has materialized in schools, institutes, and local associations and the game deposited at the Molí d’en Rata Heritage Interpretation Center, underscoring its value for the community.
The significant visitor turnout to Manifesta enabled the local population to discover buildings they otherwise might not have visited beyond the varying levels of interest contemporary art may generate. Manifesta 16 will take place in North Rhine-Westphalia in 2026.

9. Gustavo Gili, Barcelona. Photo © Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana | Helena Roig