Barcelona Pensa is back: thirty-six hours of non-stop philosophy
This city and philosophy never sleep. With this statement, the fifth edition of Barcelona Pensa has organized one more year, thirty activities to take place in several parts of the city during thirty-six hours, in the format of a philosophy marathon. The aim of this festival has been the same since the first day, when it started in the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Barcelona in 2014: taking philosophy out of the academia and bring it to the streets so that everyone can access it.
This city and philosophy never sleep. With this statement, the fifth edition of Barcelona Pensa has organized one more year, thirty activities to take place in several parts of the city during thirty-six hours, in the format of a philosophy marathon. The aim of this festival has been the same since the first day, when it started in the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Barcelona in 2014: taking philosophy out of the academia and bring it to the streets so that everyone can access it.
Some activities
There will be two main conferences. One will be given by the philosopher and writer Remedios Zafra, who will analyse (in Ateneu Barcelonès, on Thursday 15 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.) the precarious work in cultural competitiveness and hyperproduction. According to Zafra, the system that was set after the crisis is the scenario for precariousness and disappointment. Cultural, creative and academic work promotes vocation and enthusiasm in creators and they drown in bureaucracy. As a result, there is a whole generation of people who are torn between job precariousness and creative passion. The second conference will be given by Donatella Di Cesare, expert on hermeneutics, who will reflect (in the Aula Magna of the Historical Building, on Thursday 15, from 12 noon to 2 p.m.), on how philosophy can take back its central role in contemporary cities. Di Cesare is also known for her research on the Holocaust.
There is a guided tour in the prison la Model (by the association Conèixer Història - Memòria BCN) and a roundtable titled “Giving shape to forgetfulness”. Participants will be José Miguel Gastón Aguas (Government of Navarra), Núria Ricart (Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Barcelona), and Jordi Guixé (EUROM), chaired by Ricard Conesa (EUROM), on public policies of memory and their consequences at different levels, as well as the role of citizenship in memorial associations and institutions, and on the potential of public art in debate processes and constructions. The activity will close with a classic guitar concert by Nora Buschmann.
Successful activities will be present again
The fest does not forget about philosophy café and there will be five of them in this edition: Antonio Castilla and Miguel Morey will debate on whether mass art exists, Marcel Cano, Anna Sarsanedas and Ignasi Ribas will debate on what would happen if we found extra-terrestrial life; Laura Llevadot and Virginia Trueba will analyse, from several perspectives, the relation between body and desire; Sergi Oms and Genoveva Martí will explore the differences between knowing and believing, and Jordi Alsina and Jordi Beltran will talk on how serious is identity loss.
Philosophy audioguides are another classic. The aim is to open a place for critical thinking in several museums with the works from these places. There will be two of them, one in Palau Robert, in the exhibition on Raimon Panikkar, by Xavier Serra, commissioner of the Panikkar Year, and another in Fundació Tàpies, with Camil Ungureau.
Philosophy for everyone
One more year, the festival provides activities aimed at kids and youngsters: Les nenes i els nens fan filosofia, Pati filosòfic: els joves pensen, and Olimpíada Filosòfica. Also, those who want to test their knowledge on philosophy can participate in a philosophy Trivial in Casa Elizalde.
For those who love Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women (1968), there is the perfect activity: film debate on Donetes in Filmoteca, on Wednesday 14, from 12 noon to 3 p.m. Marta Palacín will present the author, context and the book, as well as the adaptation in cinema.
The final party in Pensa includes the performance “Barcelona Pensa, luego existe” by Les Transcendentals.
Activity program of the festival.