The Festival of Ideas takes to the streets of Madrid to reflect on catharsis and contemporary malaise

“Thought goes out into the streets” is the theme of the new cultural festival that will invade the streets, squares and public spaces of Madrid between September 18 and 21. Under the name of Festival of Ideas, and organized by the Círculo de Bellas Artes and La Fábrica, this project aims to bring all forms of thought closer to citizens in an open and participatory way.

The first edition of this festival, of which elDiario.es is a collaborator, revolves around catharsis, which, during these four days of the event, will raise questions about the forms, causes and remedies of contemporary malaise. An edition curated by the Spanish philosopher Javier Moscoso and coordinated by Marcela Vélez that emerges with a clear starting point: to put ideas on everyone’s lips, filling the public and cultural spaces of the city.

Entrance to the festival is free until capacity is reached and includes activities such as conversations, panel discussions, speakers corners or philosophical walks that bring disciplines such as music, theater, art or philosophy to a good part of the city center.

The central Plaza de España will be the heart of the festival through a kind of forum. A space that will have a large stage at street level for more than 600 people and where great conversations, concerts and stage shows will take place. A square that will also be occupied by a Book Fair with stands dedicated to different themes related to catharsis, the theme of this first edition.

The Círculo de Bellas Artes will be the second venue of the festival, a place that will host events with a more quiet and reflective vocation; round tables, theater or conversations with specialized personalities. In addition to these two venues, the Festival of Ideas extends in the form of small stages and events to some cultural hubs, such as the Ortega-Marañón Foundation, the Reina Sofía Museum or the Ateneo de Madrid.

A collective catharsis

The sociologist and writer Eva Illouz is in charge of opening the Festival this Wednesday 18th in the Plaza de España, one of the great figures of international thought who will seek a collective catharsis in this first conversation. Illouz’s conversation will ask whether society is too complaining or whether there are real reasons to be discouraged. On the same first day, other great names will join in, such as Wendy Brown, a sociologist and political scientist known for her critical analysis of neoliberalism and democracy.

Philosopher Marina Garcés, who will speak with elDiario.es director Ignacio Escolar at the event Broken PromisesJosé María Lasalle, César Rendueles or the artists María Peláe and Marlena are some of the names that will speak on the second day of the festival. A day of concerts, conversations, but also The Night of Franco-German Thoughta special event that will feature the reflections of foreign philosophers such as Markus Gabriel, Élisabeth Roudinesco or Laurent Daudet.

For the third day, another of the great conversations that stands out is Unhappy congratulations, The event will be led by French philosopher and sociologist Gilles Lipovetsky, who will be influenced by his study of capitalism and its impact on the authenticity and autonomy of individuals. For his part, Peter Sloterdijk, author of Critique of Cynical Reason (1983), will talk about this period of gloom and whether or not this gloom is the result of a collective hallucination.

Journalist Soledad Gallego-Díaz, writer Remedios Zafra and writer and philosopher Javier Gomá will also visit the stages of the Festival of Ideas on Friday 20th to discuss different topics. Not everything is conversation and debate, since music and theater are not left out of the program. Alberto Conejero, Tomás Cabané and Marc Caellas will use the performing arts as a vehicle for thought, reflection and, above all, catharsis. El Naán, Sés and Ursaria will close the programming of each day of the festival with original musical proposals.

For the last day of the festival, the name of one of the most recognized current thinkers, Michael Sandel, who is in charge of the closing and who will speak alone about democratic discontent and cultures of well-being with Adam Sandel, resonates. Beyond the conversations, round tables or concerts, we cannot forget two of the main protagonists of the Festival: the philosophical walks or the speakers cornerswhere anyone who wishes can speak and intervene.

The street as a place of reflection

In philosophical walks, a thinker will accompany a small group of people in a reflection on a philosophical concept or idea. Free activities, but with prior registration, take place in different areas of the city such as the Reina Sofía Museum, the Museum of America, the Plaza de Oriente or the Parque del Oeste. There will also be two “A coffee with…”, during which Marina Garcés (Thursday 19) and Remedios Zafra (Friday 20) will share a coffee with a small group of people and discuss catharsis and philosophy.

THE speakers cornerson his side, They are one of the activities that most represent the essence of the festival. Ephemeral installations distributed in different areas of the city in which anyone who wishes can express their ideas, thoughts and concerns. Each of these points has a different theme, among which stand out sorrows, connections, the world of art or artificial intelligence.

A festival that, with contemporary agitation and catharsis as its central axis, aims to launch a cultural commitment to respond to current problems and awaken the critical sense of the Madrid population.