During the Opening Press Conference of Manifesta 15, Director Hedwig Fijen outlined the biennial’s core mission: not merely to visualise ideologies and poetic representations, but to catalyse a series of concrete Calls to Action that will shape the future of the metropolitan region. The key points from her speech are as follows:

• The need to reinforce long-term investments in the cultural sector within the metropolitan region.
• To ensure that art is not merely regarded as a hobby, but recognised as a potential economic driver.
• To develop initiatives that enable residents to fully experience and enjoy the expanse of their cities, such as projects in Barcelona aimed at connecting the two rivers. In the coming months, Manifesta 15 will host a Bicicletada (bike ride) from river to river.
• To establish safe spaces that celebrate diversity and foster connection, especially in cultural spaces and public life, with particular focus on marginalised groups.
• To invest in a green, interconnected mobility infrastructure across the region.
• To strengthen educational projects which cultivate an appreciation for our natural environments, while re-evaluating which historical pedagogical tools should inform contemporary education.
• To safeguard heritage buildings for public use, with the ambition to reclaim public spaces for the communities who helped create them.
• To support diverse institutions and cultural practices in recognising our rivers, seas, mountains, trees, and species as legal entities, granting them rights as non-human actors.
• To fund and provide access to cultural practitioners dedicated to archival research of overlooked histories and repressed genealogies, such as those showcased here today.
• To rediscover the concept of the "Commons" as a space of hope.

This Manifesta 15 aims to mark the beginning of something transformative – carried forward by the groups and individuals we've collaborated with, from local residents to community leaders. Together, we can build alternative networks that support eco-social transition and foster critical reflection. Manifesta 15 aspires to serve merely as an incubator for this change.