City and Science: Barcelona to inaugurate new Biennial
Close to a hundred activities in the second week of February bring scientific knowledge and ethical debates to the Catalan capital
Barcelona aims to bring science—and the ethics and discussions surrounding it—to the people, with its first ever Biennial of City and Science, to be held February 7 to the 11. The main themes: science and citizenship; science, life, and natural environment; transhumanism; art and science.
Barcelona “above average” in field, says mayor
The event was presented on Monday by various Barcelona officials including mayor Ada Colau, who highlighted the importance of this second Biennial put on by the city (the first being the Biennial of Thought), and which in this case disposes of a budget of €400,000.
Barcelona has a scientific environment that is “above average in terms of level of talent, universities,” a city that is a “European hub when it comes to research,” proclaimed Colau at the event.
“Sometimes, if scientific changes don’t come with the involvement of people, they don’t come to fruition,”
Joan Subirats · Barcelona culture official
People and their involvement key to scientific success, says official
“Sometimes, if scientific changes don’t come with the involvement of people, they don’t come to fruition,” said Barcelona culture official Joan Subirats, part of the entity putting on the event.
By reflecting on scientific challenges and advances through the lens of culture and society, the initiative aims to take advantage of this knowledge in a participative and entertaining way outside of the strict academic field.
Nobel laureates to participate
A total of 96 activities will be spread out in 72 spaces throughout Barcelona, such as libraries, communal gardens, civic centers, maker spaces, with activities planned including hackathons, debates, conferences, exhibitions—and much more.
The event will also see the participation of 118 entities and 138 speakers, including the 2009 Nobel Chemistry laureate Ada E. Yonath, and the 1990 Physics laureate Jerome Isaac Friedman.
- Barcelona mayor Ada Colau presents the Barcelona Biennial of City and Science on January 14 2019 (by Pau Cortina)