Manifesta 15: Barcelona Metropolitana

[En anglais]

Manifesta, a nomadic art biennial, was founded in 1994 by the Dutch art historian Hedwig Fijen in the aftermath of the Cold War. As such, it has always carried the optimism of the 1990s and the promise of productive dialogue between nations, which is starting to feel a bit out of place in the current artistic climate. In recent years, the festival has felt apolitical, and occasionally even gentrifying and touristic. The fifteenth edition, held in some of the most incredible venues in the greater metropolitan area of Barcelona, was no exception: the city has been in the throes of revolt against sightseers, and there was some speculation that these peripheral venues were chosen to avoid tourist hotspots where protests might occur. In line with the complex history of Spanish cultural and colonial production, this edition of the roving biennial focused on soft politics around women’s work, colonial industries, and the multi-formal production of energy.

The flow of energy—as in, the animating force of the universe—takes centre stage here. The Three Chimneys at Sant Adrià de Besòs, a former thermal power station located on the bank of the Besòs River, has stood as a functional monument since 2011. Jeremy Deller’s banner Speak to the earth and it will tell you (2024) is dwarfed by the building’s massive presence. Inside, large industrial spaces provide relief from the scorching Mediterranean sun. Works oscillate between natural energetic forces and the remnants of industrialization. Ugo Sciavi’s Autotrophic Spectra (2022–24) welcomes viewers into a techno-organic installation in the form of a partially enclosed greenhouse. Inside are lush greenery, wires, and a screen playing randomized videos whose flow is said to be generated by the plants themselves. The work is echoed in Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg’s Every Thing Eats Light (2024), a stained-glass installation of enlarged plant matter. Both works gesture toward the ecological crises brought on by industrial energy initiatives.