The third edition of this event, to be held simultaneously for the first time in Barcelona and Madrid, focuses on the concept of living and seeks to analyse the opportunities offered by science in responding to today’s challenges and making more sustainable models of life possible.

The Biennial will be curated by Helen Cole, doctor in Public Health and head researcher at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Josep Perelló, professor with the Department of Condensed Matter Physics at the University of Barcelona, and Lluís Nacenta, holder of a degree in mathematics, a higher certificate in pianoforte, writer and researcher in the space where music, art, technology and science converge.

Four areas inspired by living

The Biennial is based around four areas relating to the central topic for this edition:

• Living in the city – Over half the population currently live in urban environments, making it imperative to establish new relationships between human activity and the biodiversity of these ecosystems. Cities play a key role in combatting climate change and are a privileged scenario for promoting action through scientific knowledge.
• Living in equity – Equality of rights, dignified ageing, public healthcare, respect for the environment…achieving real equality in both society and science is a challenge we still have to address.
• Living with science – A look at the lives of scientists and the procedures and methods they use, formulas for generating scientific knowledge and citizen participation.
• Living creativity – Art can communicate abstract and complex concepts. The points where art and science meet allow us to generate responses to today’s problems, where creativity plays a key part.

A programme with plenty of surprises

Over the six days of the Biennial, the Barcelona site will be offering a varied programme made up of over seventy activities, mainly in the district of Ciutat Vella and featuring 200 participants.

Besides the most traditional activities such as talks, round tables and debates, the Biennial will also be offering a large number of unique initiatives.

The opening ceremony is on Tuesday, 21 February, and sees Josep Perelló and chef Ada Parellada talk about life based on cuisine.

It’s also Science Night on 25 February, offering a series of scientific and recreational activities for everybody to get closer to science.

Art will also play an important part with seven permanent installations, performances, concerts, films and more to reflect the intersections between art and science. There’s also time for theatre, with a play by La Perla 29 on 25 February, along with a chance to enjoy the dramatised lecture Oxygen, by Carl Djerassi and Roald Hoffman on 26 February.

Wednesday, 22 February, is Citizen Science Day, when people are invited to form an active part of science.

Other notable parts of the programme include the Research Evenings (22, 23 and 24 February) at the CSIC researchers’ residence, where scientific researchers will be explaining the projects, and the Science Strolls in El Raval (24, 25 and 26 February), offering an opportunity to discover the spaces linked to science in this Barcelona neighbourhood.

The City and Science Biennial is one of the steps set out in the Barcelona Science Plan 2020-2023, the goal being to strengthen scientific dissemination and communication activities, generating critical capacity, scientific knowledge and vocations across all age groups.

Full information on the event can be found on the Biennial website: https://www.biennalciutaticiencia.barcelona/en.