Catalonia. Art and Democracy is a lecture that emerged out of the need to share what has been happening in Catalonia since late 2017 and how this is affecting the world of art. Given the situation we are experiencing, we want to question democracy and look at the role of art in this context.
The Institut del Teatre witnessed the 1 October events directly and emotionally. The building was the polling station of the referendum and both our community and the neighbours got deeply involved by calling for and enabling the exercise of the fundamental rights of citizens to express themselves and vote freely.
It is in this intimate, collective, diverse and complex context that the desire emerged to hold a lecture with four speakers. The idea has been developed by four names related to the world of culture, very particularly the performing arts. Moreover, we have requested the collaboration of diverse professionals who, with their opinions and reflections, have contributed a plural and rich vision of the complex events that have taken place in our country over the last year and a half.
Based on 1 October and our experience, the journey begins. Magda Puyo, theatre director and current Director General of the Institut del Teatre, encourages us to create from the most absolute freedom regardless of censorships, threats or repressions.
Bibiana Puigdefàbregas, scenographer, and Marta Rafa, costume designer, curators of Catalonia at the PQ19, introduce the reflections on the role of art in relation to the events that were unleashed after the referendum.
And Joan Maria Minguet, contemporary art and cinema critic and historian, looking at the current artistic activity in Catalonia and the response of the Spanish state which uses legislative power as brute force and a framework of contention, calls for the need of a critical, combative and committed art. Because if art, the performing arts and scenography are not understood as conflict they become privilege.
