Over 40 artists will gather at the Avilés Climate Biennial
Over 40 artists will gather at the Avilés Climate Biennial
The City Council of Avilés has hosted, on March 11, the official presentation of the 1st edition of the Climate Biennial: art, industry and territory, which will turn the Asturian city and its council into a centre for artistic creation, where contemporary art will address current ecological, territorial and social challenges.
The meeting will be held from June 12 to September 20, under the motto Rehearsing the unexpected.
The event was attended by the Secretary of State for Culture, Jordi Martí Grau; the Deputy Secretary for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Miguel González Suela; the mayor of Avilés, Mariví Monteserín; and the Director General for Environment of the Principality of Asturias, Susana Madera. They were joined by the artistic director of the Biennial, Amanda Masha Caminals and the director of Atelier itd, Miguel Soberón.
© Nico Rodríguez_Climate Biennial Presentation, March 11, 2026: from left to right: Manuel Campa (Councillor for Urban and Economic Development of Avilés), Agustín Medina (First Deputy Mayor of Avilés City Council), Susana Madera (Director General for the Environment of the Government of the Principality of Asturias), Miguel Soberón (Director of Atelier itd), Jordi Martí Grau (Secretary of State for Culture), Mariví Monteserín (Mayor of Avilés), Miguel González Suela (Undersecretary for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge), Amanda Masha Caminals (Artistic Director of the Climate Biennial), and Yolanda Alonso (Councillor for Culture and Festivities of Avilés).
Three sections articulate the exhibition programme
The Climate Biennial’s more than 40 works and artistic projects are organized into three large sections: Weather Station, focused on new ways of observing and communicating atmospheric issues in a context of climatic alterations; Present Industries, that dialogues with the industrial legacy and the possible futures for work and production; and Grief and Joy, dedicated to the emotional dimension of transformations: that which is lost and hurts, but also that which is celebrated and collectively imagined.
Some of the works have been produced or acquired specifically for this first edition. Some belong to the National Art and Climate Collection, while others are the result of the ACTS (acronym for Art, Science, Technology and Society in Spanish) artistic residency programmes developed in collaboration with the National Meteorology Agency (AEMET by its acronym in Spanish), the City of Energy Foundation (CIUDEN by its shortname in Spanish), and the Cultural Factory of Avilés. There will also be ongoing projects and open processes that will continue to grow after this edition.
The number of artists participating in the Climate Biennial grows
The artists participating in this first biennial were also introduced during the event. Their number has grown over the past few weeks, with the addition of names such as: Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Gabriela Bettini, Carolina Caycedo, Kela Coto, Elisa Cuesta, Olmo Cuña, Priyageetha Dia, Chioma Ebinama, Agnes Essonti, Harun Farocki & Antje Ehmann, Vir Andrés Hera, Sara García, Noemí Iglesias, Naiza Khan, Alba Matilla, Benjamin Menéndez, Amanda Piña, Oliver Ressler and Emilija Škarnulytė.
Said artists join those previously announced: Marion Balac, Natalia Domínguez, Enar de Dios, Abelardo Gil-Fournier, Irene Grau, Elena Lavellés, Victor Mazón, Andrea Molina, Asunción Molinos Gordo, Sonia Navarro, Laura Palau, Nadia Penella, Belén Rodríguez, Mario Santamaría, Rotor Studio and Jorge Yeregui.
Also noteworthy is the participation of the In Collective initiative, arising from the cultural mediation process carried out by the researcher Zoe López together with local organizations such as The Charity of Piloña, Néxodos and the Teitau School, adding artists such as Mónica Cofiño, Álex Galán, Mónica Armentina and Raposu Roxu. The exhibition programme is curated by Amanda Masha Caminals.
Avilés becomes active as a network of exhibition spaces
The Climate Biennial confirms the addition of ArcelorMittal University and of the Portus Space, managed by the Port Authority of Avilés, as new spaces that will host the exhibition and public programmes, raising the number of spaces distributed throughout the city to 11.
The ArcelorMittal University building, with a strong rationalist influence, was built in the 1970s and was intended for the ENSIDESA Apprentice School, where generations of workers linked to the industrial history of Avilés were trained, and was later converted for use as a training centre.
As for the Portus Space of the Port Authority of Avilés, located in San Juan de Nieva, it is an old riverside shipyard that today houses a permanent exhibition on the history and activity of the Port of Avilés. The site is also home to the Interpretation Centre for the Underwater Canyons of Avilés, dedicated to disseminating information about the unique marine ecosystem of the Asturian coastline.
Among the participating spaces, there are also cultural centres such as the School of Arts and Crafts, the Avilés Cultural Factory, or La Noria; historical palaces such as Camposagrado and Valdecarzana; exhibition spaces such as the Niemeyer Centre; enclaves of industrial heritage such as the Old Municipal Fish Market (La Grapa), and La Curtidora; as well as historical gardens such as the Ferrera Park, along with other spaces linked to the industrial and social fabric of the municipality.
All of them will form an inviting setting to rediscover the city, activating Avilés as a territory for reflection and experimentation, and placing it as an example of transformations and challenges in contemporary society.
A public programme for discussion
In addition to its exhibition programme, the biennial is conceived as a space to meet and for public conversation. Its objective is to generate a civic space that promotes listening, recognition between different perspectives and democratic coexistence. To that end, there will be experimenting with formats that overcome the rigidity of traditional auditoriums, and favour the participation of diverse audiences and the reconciliation of positions. Planned activities include walking conversations, debates, and outdoor workshops, as well as participatory performance proposals.
Presentation of the publication of the conceptual framework for the 1st edition of the Climate Biennial
This morning’s event at the Avilés City Hall also hosted the presentation of the publication gathering the main curatorial lines, research methodologies and collective processes that shape the first edition of the Climate Biennial. The document includes, among other contents, the critical cartography developed by the Asturian artist Elisa Cuesta, a tool for reading the territory that has served as the basis for the development of the exhibition and public programme. Altogether, the publication works as a conceptual and practical framework from which to imagine, through culture, art, and landscape, fairer and more inhabitable ways of life.
The Climate Biennial: art, industry and territory is promoted by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda, the Principality of Asturias, the City Council of Avilés and the Atelier itd Foundation. It also has the support of the Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation and the Community Arts Lab by Porticus.
The City Council of Avilés has hosted, on March 11, the official presentation of the 1st edition of the Climate Biennial: art, industry and territory, which will turn the Asturian city and its council into a centre for artistic creation, where contemporary art will address current ecological, territorial and social challenges. The meeting will be held from June 12 to September 20, under the motto Rehearsing the unexpected.
The event was attended by the Secretary of State for Culture, Jordi Martí Grau; the Deputy Secretary for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Miguel González Suela; the mayor of Avilés, Mariví Monteserín; and the Director General for Environment of the Principality of Asturias, Susana Madera. They were joined by the artistic director of the Biennial, Amanda Masha Caminals and the director of Atelier itd, Miguel Soberón.
© Nico Rodríguez_Climate Biennial Presentation, March 11, 2026: from left to right: Manuel Campa (Councillor for Urban and Economic Development of Avilés), Agustín Medina (First Deputy Mayor of Avilés City Council), Susana Madera (Director General for the Environment of the Government of the Principality of Asturias), Miguel Soberón (Director of Atelier itd), Jordi Martí Grau (Secretary of State for Culture), Mariví Monteserín (Mayor of Avilés), Miguel González Suela (Undersecretary for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge), Amanda Masha Caminals (Artistic Director of the Climate Biennial), and Yolanda Alonso (Councillor for Culture and Festivities of Avilés).
Three sections articulate the exhibition programme
The Climate Biennial’s more than 40 works and artistic projects are organized into three large sections: Weather Station, focused on new ways of observing and communicating atmospheric issues in a context of climatic alterations; Present Industries, that dialogues with the industrial legacy and the possible futures for work and production; and Grief and Joy, dedicated to the emotional dimension of transformations: that which is lost and hurts, but also that which is celebrated and collectively imagined.
Some of the works have been produced or acquired specifically for this first edition. Some belong to the National Art and Climate Collection, while others are the result of the ACTS (acronym for Art, Science, Technology and Society in Spanish) artistic residency programmes developed in collaboration with the National Meteorology Agency (AEMET by its acronym in Spanish), the City of Energy Foundation (CIUDEN by its shortname in Spanish), and the Cultural Factory of Avilés. There will also be ongoing projects and open processes that will continue to grow after this edition.
The number of artists participating in the Climate Biennial grows
The artists participating in this first biennial were also introduced during the event. Their number has grown over the past few weeks, with the addition of names such as: Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Gabriela Bettini, Carolina Caycedo, Kela Coto, Elisa Cuesta, Olmo Cuña, Priyageetha Dia, Chioma Ebinama, Agnes Essonti, Harun Farocki & Antje Ehmann, Vir Andrés Hera, Sara García, Noemí Iglesias, Naiza Khan, Alba Matilla, Benjamin Menéndez, Amanda Piña, Oliver Ressler and Emilija Škarnulytė.
Said artists join those previously announced: Marion Balac, Natalia Domínguez, Enar de Dios, Abelardo Gil-Fournier, Irene Grau, Elena Lavellés, Victor Mazón, Andrea Molina, Asunción Molinos Gordo, Sonia Navarro, Laura Palau, Nadia Penella, Belén Rodríguez, Mario Santamaría, Rotor Studio and Jorge Yeregui.
Also noteworthy is the participation of the In Collective initiative, arising from the cultural mediation process carried out by the researcher Zoe López together with local organizations such as The Charity of Piloña, Néxodos and the Teitau School, adding artists such as Mónica Cofiño, Álex Galán, Mónica Armentina and Raposu Roxu. The exhibition programme is curated by Amanda Masha Caminals.
Avilés becomes active as a network of exhibition spaces
The Climate Biennial confirms the addition of ArcelorMittal University and of the Portus Space, managed by the Port Authority of Avilés, as new spaces that will host the exhibition and public programmes, raising the number of spaces distributed throughout the city to 11.
The ArcelorMittal University building, with a strong rationalist influence, was built in the 1970s and was intended for the ENSIDESA Apprentice School, where generations of workers linked to the industrial history of Avilés were trained, and was later converted for use as a training centre.
As for the Portus Space of the Port Authority of Avilés, located in San Juan de Nieva, it is an old riverside shipyard that today houses a permanent exhibition on the history and activity of the Port of Avilés. The site is also home to the Interpretation Centre for the Underwater Canyons of Avilés, dedicated to disseminating information about the unique marine ecosystem of the Asturian coastline.
Among the participating spaces, there are also cultural centres such as the School of Arts and Crafts, the Avilés Cultural Factory, or La Noria; historical palaces such as Camposagrado and Valdecarzana; exhibition spaces such as the Niemeyer Centre; enclaves of industrial heritage such as the Old Municipal Fish Market (La Grapa), and La Curtidora; as well as historical gardens such as the Ferrera Park, along with other spaces linked to the industrial and social fabric of the municipality.
All of them will form an inviting setting to rediscover the city, activating Avilés as a territory for reflection and experimentation, and placing it as an example of transformations and challenges in contemporary society.
A public programme for discussion
In addition to its exhibition programme, the biennial is conceived as a space to meet and for public conversation. Its objective is to generate a civic space that promotes listening, recognition between different perspectives and democratic coexistence. To that end, there will be experimenting with formats that overcome the rigidity of traditional auditoriums, and favour the participation of diverse audiences and the reconciliation of positions. Planned activities include walking conversations, debates, and outdoor workshops, as well as participatory performance proposals.
Presentation of the publication of the conceptual framework for the 1st edition of the Climate Biennial
The event at the Avilés City Hall also hosted the presentation of the publication gathering the main curatorial lines, research methodologies and collective processes that shape the first edition of the Climate Biennial. The document includes, among other contents, the critical cartography developed by the Asturian artist Elisa Cuesta, a tool for reading the territory that has served as the basis for the development of the exhibition and public programme. Altogether, the publication works as a conceptual and practical framework from which to imagine, through culture, art, and landscape, fairer and more inhabitable ways of life.
The Climate Biennial: art, industry and territory is promoted by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda, the Principality of Asturias, the City Council of Avilés and the Atelier itd Foundation. It also has the support of the Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation and the Community Arts Lab by Porticus.
