The 1st International Congress of Art, Culture and Science of the Biennial B has been inaugurated

The Council of Mallorca and Es Baluard Museum of Contemporary Art in Palma inaugurated the International Congress of Art, Culture and Science today. The event, which is being held this Friday and Saturday in the museum's cistern, transforms the island into a space for global reflection on how to inhabit the future through dialogue between art, science, and critical thinking. The event is presented under the title Living in the future and is part of Biennial B, the new joint initiative between the island institution and the museum, which promotes contemporary creation as an engine of innovation and social transformation.

The congress brings together artists, scientists, anthropologists, urban planners, ecologists, designers, and thinkers from different fields to reflect on how to inhabit the future with responsibility, creativity, and sustainability.

During the opening ceremony, meteorologist and science communicator Mercedes Martín, co-director of Biennial B, along with the museum's director, David Barro, presented the strategic lines of this initiative, which aims to create spaces for convergence between the humanities and sciences to address the challenges of the future from a shared perspective. The first day began with the opening lecture by Alastair Fuad-Luke, a key figure in sustainable design.

See the program for the 1st International Congress of Art, Culture, and Science here.

Friday, January 30

• 10:00 h Institutional opening.
• 10:25 a.m. What is Biennial B? Mercedes Martín, oceanographer, meteorologist and science communicator, and co-director of Bienal B.
• 10:40 a.m. Opening Conference. Alastair Fuad-Luke, facilitator, consultant, educator, writer and international activist in the field of sustainable design.
• 11:25 a.m. BTalksFernanda Fragateiro, artist, in conversation with Jackie Herbst, head of exhibitions at Es Baluard Museu.
• 11:45 a.m. What is Mallorca Soil? Ela Spalding, artist-facilitator and cultural producer.
• 12:00 - 12:30 h Break - coffee
• 12:30 pm BTalksEster Partegàs, artist, in conversation with Bea Espejo, curator and art critic.
• 12:50 pm Dialogue: The garden as a cultural and urban construction.
• Carlos Garaicoa, artist, and Santiago Beruete, anthropologist and PhD in Philosophy. Moderated by David Barro, director of Es Baluard Museu and co-director of Bienal B.
• 13.35 h Lunch break
• 4:00 PM Documentary Screening: Change everything without changing anything, by Salvador Rueda.
• 5:15 p.m. Case study: Urban ecology, architecture and the city. Ecosystemic urbanism as a tool for transformationSalvador Rueda, urban ecologist, founder of ecosystemic urbanism and creator of the superblocks model.
• 5:45 p.m. What is the Gallery Climate Coalition? Carolina Grau, commissioner.
• 6:05 PM Break - coffee
• 6:35 p.m. B TalksGhada Amer, artist, in conversation with Clara Garau, specialist in artistic production.
• 18.55 h Final reflection. Who decides the price now?
• Musimbi Kanyoro, a global leader in human rights and gender justice, philanthropist, and former president and CEO of the Global Fund for Women, in conversation with Mercedes Martín.
• Power, responsibility, and the ethical weight of decision-making in times of crisisDrawing on decades of global leadership, Musimbi Kanyoro analyzes how decisions are made and how the consequences shape lives and societies.
• 7:45 p.m. End of the day.

Saturday, January 31

• 10:30 a.m. Guided tour of the exhibition Jannis Kounellis. Labyrinth without wallsDavid Barro, director of Es Baluard Museu and curator of the exhibition.
• 11:00 a.m. Screening. Animated film: Black butterfliesGoya Award for Best Animated Film, and a discussion with David Baute, film director and producer.
• 13.00 h Closing presentation. Odile Rodríguez de la Fuente, biologist, science communicator and president of Rewilding Spain.
• 13.45 h Closing of the congress.
• 2:00 PM End of the day.

The President of the Council of Mallorca, Llorenç Galmés, and the Vice President and Councillor for Culture and Heritage, Antonia Roca, inaugurated these conferences, accompanied by the museum director, David Barro, and the meteorologist and science communicator Mercedes Martín, co-director of Bienal B. The President emphasized that "Mallorca must be a territory where we reaffirm the island institution's commitment to a culture that engages with science and contributes to imagining more sustainable and creative societies." He also noted that "Bienal B is a strategic initiative to position the island on the international map of contemporary thought, with the aim of bringing together artists, scientists, and professionals from diverse disciplines to address global challenges from a pluralistic and open perspective."