Barcelona

”Winds know what maps have forgotten” is a hands-on, immersive workshop where sound, maps, and imagination meet. Participants inhabit a large floor map of the Mediterranean to create wind-inspired soundscapes, stories and speculative narratives.

La Bissaperie is a collective invocation of Frantz Fanon's memory through a shared reading of his texts and the preparation of bissap, a hibiscus flower drink. I propose a friendly and horizontal meeting place focused on the revolutionary ideas of the thinker and a platform for people to connect with their identity, heritage and community.

In our time of fake news, disinformation, and political manipulation, the difference between truth and lies seems increasingly unclear. Artificial intelligence can distort our perceptions, and social media encloses us in bubbles that destroy the very idea of a shared reality. In this world, what place does fiction occupy—the old craft of telling stories that never happened? Can novels contain more truth than reality as we see it? The Colombian novelist Juan Gabriel Vásquez proposes a conversation about our relationship with invented stories in an increasingly uncertain world.

“Pulso y Horizonte” is an instrumental project led by Pedro Javier González, one of the most respected guitarists on the contemporary Spanish music scene. Flamenco, jazz, world music and improvisation converge in an open, celebratory proposal inspired by the Mediterranean, where rhythmic pulse and collective dialogue shape a vibrant and highly communicative musical experience.

The Drought: An Oasis is a contemporary flamenco performance that brings together dance, live guitar, and flamenco singing (cante) to explore themes of water, drought, and migration. Originally created in Southern Spain, this new version of the piece is now presented in Catalonia, while keeping its strong Andalusian roots.
The show reflects on the historical impact of Francoist hydraulic policies, including the Badajoz Decree, and on the migration of Andalusian working-class communities who moved to Catalonia to work in industry and construction. These histories are translated on stage through flamenco music and movement. Some of the lyrics are sung in Catalan, alongside Spanish, as a symbolic gesture that connects flamenco with the linguistic and cultural reality of Catalonia and Barcelona. On stage, the performance features flamenco dance, live guitar, and cante, combined with a strong visual dimension. The final part of the piece takes the form of a “final de fiesta” inspired by Rumba Catalana, bringing collective energy, rhythm, and celebration to the stage.

The concept is centered on Disco Atlas’ own artistic project, in which he invites artists to join as surprise guests. By collaborating with Gnawa musicians—specifically emerging performers rather than established Maâlems—Disco Atlas highlights how the music he plays can organically merge with live instrumentation. The aim is to demonstrate that this sound is flexible, alive, and open to reinterpretation through live performance, creating a unique and spontaneous experience each time.

Walking through the port and its surroundings based on a reflection on the sea as a forgotten space and its limits. The breakwater at sea and on land. The itinerary will unfold in dialogue with the notions of the artist and photographer Alan Sekula, maritime ex-votos, and urban transformation.

Ngomez Nokass, a renowned Senegalese percussion and dance group based in Barcelona and specializing in traditional rhythms such as sabar, djembe, and mbalakh, will officially open the festival. Originally formed by eight members and now expanding to over 15, the group fuses traditional Senegalese percussion with the energy of dance, offering vibrant performances filled with rhythmic patterns that are part of a long and rich cultural heritage.

Opening on Thursday, March 26, starting at 5 p.m. Free admission.

Amman-born and Barcelona based for the last years, Miramizu is an expert in fusing disparate musical worlds into vibrant journeys. Drawn to contrast, she thrives on the friction between softness and impact, light and low-end, emotion and electricity. For her dj set at Art Explora, she will guide audiences on a sonic journey inspired by the Mediterranean, navigating textures, rhythms, and cultural echoes that reflect our shared landscape and collective experience

res_ (antes res_és_nostre) is a sound art duo that investigates the intersection between electronic music, language and visual arts, understanding sound as cultural, historical and political material. For Art Explora they present a live show based on the sampling of medieval catalan choirs, whose voices are fragmented and processed electronically, generating a dialogue between archive, technology and collective body. Their performance will be joined by 40 singers from the Canigó Choir.

Thriving on unpredictability, whether at a festival or an intimate club, mad miran’s connection to rave culture and unique blend of electronic beats guarantee a mesmerizing performance every time, marking her as one of the most exciting DJs to watch.

Naïm Gnawa Ensemble is a Moroccan traditional music ensemble based in Barcelona, specializing in the Gnawa repertoire. Led by maâlem Naim Issawa, the group performs in a large collective format rooted in ritual practice, combining percussion, ghaita trumpets and choral voices. Their music creates a shared, ceremonial experience where rhythm, repetition and collective energy play a central role.