In the pre-biennial phase, starting over a year before the biennial officially opens, the selected participants investigated specific thematic components in the three interconnected nodes identified by the Manifesta 15 team: along the Besòs river, the Llobregat delta and in the Collserola mountain range.

These investigations, in close collaboration with local experts and communities, introduced new and alternative ways of calling attention to the climate crisis and identified certain ecological and social transformations needed in the region.

The pre-biennial research process began in the summer of 2021, when Manifesta started mapping the territory of the metropolitan region. One of the initial steps in the process was to appoint the First Creative Mediator – Sergio Pardo López, the Director of the Percent for Art Program at the New York Department of Cultural Affairs. After the initial research a diverse group of individual and collective researchers were appointed. These participants are interdisciplinary and work within the fields of art, science, law, architecture, human rights, activism and pedagogy.

The pre-biennial research participants of Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana are the following:

Check out our YouTube channel to meet Manifesta 15’s pre-biennial research participants and their innovative approaches.