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  • “There is no document of Culture that is not at the same time a document of barbarism”

    Walter Benjamin (Berlín, 1892 - Portbou, 1940)

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Image 5-7/09/25: X WALTER BENJAMIN SUMMER SCHOOL Image 5-7/09/25: X WALTER BENJAMIN SUMMER SCHOOL
Image 6-8/09/24: IX WALTER BENJAMIN SUMMER SCHOOL Image 6-8/09/24: IX WALTER BENJAMIN SUMMER SCHOOL

5-7/09/25: X WALTER BENJAMIN SUMMER SCHOOL

Re-thinking the violence of the today's world from Benjamin

From September 5 to 7, 2025

Walter Benjamin Library, Av. de Barcelona, 11. Portbou

Walter Benjamin (Berlin, 1892-Portbou, 1940) wrote in the year of his death in the Theses on the Philosophy of History a pithy phrase that still resonates today: “There is no document of culture that is not also a document of barbarism”. He lived an intellectually brilliant but turbulent period between two wars: the Weimar Republic and in 1921, he published a key text: Critique of Violence, which arises from the experience of the Russian Revolution and the workers’ movement in Weimar, and which develops a theory of revolution that leads to the Theses. We live immersed in an increasingly violent society, which is denounced in their works by creators and artists who, increasingly, find themselves faced with a climate of greater violence against nature in the name of progress, in the exercise of power, both in the field of law and justice or in the rise of the totalitarianisms of the 20th century.

Although many thinkers from the 20th century and from currents such as post-structuralism, psychoanalysis and feminist thought have addressed the nature and meaning of violence, the 10th Walter Benjamin Summer School takes Benjamin's text as a backdrop and foundation for analyzing violence in contemporary society. Violence in the art and literature of the Weimar Republic today will be addressed in the spotlight, the concept of "Gewalt" (violence and/or power) and "Kritik" (criticism) in this thinker, as well as in other authors of feminist thought, such as Hannah Arendt, who speaks of political violence. Likewise, as a multidisciplinary festival of contemporary art and thought, it includes a poetry recital, an artist's workshop, a sound performance, a film screening and an exhibition of artistic work.

Direction: Pilar Parcerisas (FAN), Cari Oriol Serres (AP) and Vicent Ordóñez (UNED)

Secretary: Irene Cussó and Pere Cid

Registration: info@passatgescultura.org / info@fundacioangelusnovus.org

6-8/09/24: IX WALTER BENJAMIN SUMMER SCHOOL

PROGRESS AND DISASTER: THE FISSURES OF CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY

Walter Benjamin, in the last months of his life and before being overcome by fatigue and persecution by the Gestapo, was able to write theses against the ideology of progress. He declared that infinite growth in the future would not be possible and that the emergency brake would have to be activated. The production and consumption of materials would not be sustainable in a resource-limited world. The theories of degrowth have filtered into sociology, economics, philosophy, ecology and any reflection that deepens the problem that plagues the 21st century, based on an unstoppable growth that is leaving the world without resources natural and delegates human intelligence to the machine.  We have chosen this reflection on progress because it is very current. He tells us about a Benjamin who faces productivism, commodity fetishism, the loss of experience and the sensible world, criticism of alienated work, the void of time and catastrophe in history . This catastrophe of which great intellectuals, now recovered and longed for, such as Stefan Zweig and Benjamin himself, have echoed. This Benjaminian thought has influenced thinkers of great relevance. The centenary of the death of Franz Kafka will be addressed. As an international festival of multidisciplinary art and thought in the field of creation and the humanities, it contemplates a training seminar with lectures that include university postdoctoral students, poetry, staged theater, photography, visual arts exhibition and archive of conference contents.

 

Direction: Pilar Parcerisas (FAN), Cari Oriol Serres (AP) and Vicent Ordoñez (UNED)

Secretariat: Irene Cussó

Registrations: info@passatgescultura.org / info@fundacioangelusnovus.org

T. + 34 660827023

LEARN MORE
Image 2025/10/10: WAR POETRY Image 2025/10/10: WAR POETRY
Image 2025/10/10: WALTER BENJAMÍN IN PORTBOU Image 2025/10/10: WALTER BENJAMÍN IN PORTBOU
Image WALTER BENJAMIN AWARDS Image WALTER BENJAMIN AWARDS
Image 2025/09/12: BÒLIT'S POLICE WILL RUN AWAY Image 2025/09/12: BÒLIT'S POLICE WILL RUN AWAY
Image 10th WALTER BENJAMIN SUMMER SCHOOL, PORTBOU 2025 Image 10th WALTER BENJAMIN SUMMER SCHOOL, PORTBOU 2025
Image EXHIBITION / GONZALO ELVIRA WALTER BENJAMIN. IBIZAN SERIES Image EXHIBITION / GONZALO ELVIRA WALTER BENJAMIN. IBIZAN SERIES
Image 2025/08/30: CABARET SONGS. KURT WEILL Image 2025/08/30: CABARET SONGS. KURT WEILL
Image 2025/08/08: HISTORICAL POLITICAL POSTERS FROM CATALONIA AND THE BASQUE COUNTRY DURING THE TRANSITION Image 2025/08/08: HISTORICAL POLITICAL POSTERS FROM CATALONIA AND THE BASQUE COUNTRY DURING THE TRANSITION
Image 2025/07/30: THE SIXENA CONFLICT Image 2025/07/30: THE SIXENA CONFLICT
Image 2025/07/19: Image 2025/07/19:
Image 2025/06/21: WALTER BENJAMIN. FINISHED PASSAGES Image 2025/06/21: WALTER BENJAMIN. FINISHED PASSAGES
Image 20225/05/24: CATALONIA: 50 COASTAL EXCURSIONS Image 20225/05/24: CATALONIA: 50 COASTAL EXCURSIONS
Image 2025/03/22: TRIBUTE TO CONXITA BADIA, SOPRANO Image 2025/03/22: TRIBUTE TO CONXITA BADIA, SOPRANO
Image 2025/03/01: WOMEN OF BERLIN Image 2025/03/01: WOMEN OF BERLIN
Image 2025/02/15: THE FRAGMENTED WORLD OF PAINTER ÁNGELES SANTOS (Portbou, 1911 - Madrid, 2013) Image 2025/02/15: THE FRAGMENTED WORLD OF PAINTER ÁNGELES SANTOS (Portbou, 1911 - Madrid, 2013)
Image 2025/02/13: SONNETTE / SONNETS BY WALTER BENJAMIN Image 2025/02/13: SONNETTE / SONNETS BY WALTER BENJAMIN
Image 2025/02/05: SONNETTE / SONNETS BY WALTEWER BENJAMIN Image 2025/02/05: SONNETTE / SONNETS BY WALTEWER BENJAMIN
Image 2025/02/01: FRANCESC PUJOLS, PHILOSOPHER OF SALVADOR DALÍ Image 2025/02/01: FRANCESC PUJOLS, PHILOSOPHER OF SALVADOR DALÍ
Image 2025/01/22: THE SONNETS OF WALTER BENJAMIN Image 2025/01/22: THE SONNETS OF WALTER BENJAMIN
Image 2025/01/18: THE CONSTRUCTION OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN EMPORDÀ. REPUBLICANISM, ANTICLERICALISM AND FREEMASONRY. Image 2025/01/18: THE CONSTRUCTION OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN EMPORDÀ. REPUBLICANISM, ANTICLERICALISM AND FREEMASONRY.
Image 2025/01/14: PRESENTATION OF THE BOOK SONNETTE/SONETS BY WALTER BENJAMIN Image 2025/01/14: PRESENTATION OF THE BOOK SONNETTE/SONETS BY WALTER BENJAMIN

2025/10/10: WAR POETRY

2025/10/10: WAR POETRY

Book presentation of "War Poetry"

Speakers: Vinyet Panyella, writer and cultural researcher; Montse Rubinat, editor; and Alfons Romero Dalmau, historian.

Poetry recital: Maria Altadill, soprano; and David Pradas, piano.

Saturday, October 11, 6:00 p.m.

2025/10/10: WALTER BENJAMÍN IN PORTBOU

Presentation of the book "Walter Benjamin in Portbou" by Cari Oriol Serres.

The event will feature speakers: Cari Oriol, author; Pilar Parcerisas, president of the Angelus Novus Foundation; Claudia Kalász, prologue writer; and Carles B. Gorbs, journalist and editor.

Friday, October 10, 6:00 p.m.

 

WALTER BENJAMIN AWARDS

WALTER BENJAMIN AWARDS

Art, Thought, Memory of the Angelus Novus Foundation

Wednesday, September 17, at 7:00 p.m.

The Virreina Centro de la Imagen, La Rambla, 99, Barcelona

 

Program:

7:00 p.m. / Live Radio.

Walter benjamain. Experieence in Dark Times. Radio Ecenes.

7:45 p.m. / 1st Walter Benjamain Awaers 2025

 

Please RSVP to: info@fundacióangelusnovus.org

2025/09/12: BÒLIT'S POLICE WILL RUN AWAY

Presentation of the poetry collection "BÒLIT'S POLICE WILL RUN AWAY" by ENRIC CASASSES, illustrated by TURA SANGLAS.

Speakers: Enric Umbert, poet, and Pilar Parcerisas, art critic.

Short poetry reading by the author.

Friday, September 12, 6:30 p.m.

10th WALTER BENJAMIN SUMMER SCHOOL, PORTBOU 2025

Sunday, September 7

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Presentation of the book "Portbou, a journey to where?" by Cari Oriol, with Vicenç Villatoro.

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Screening of the documentary SAMUDARIPEN, with Ricard Valentí, President of the Rromanipe's Association and activist in defense of the history of the Roma people.

12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Portbou Cemetery

Reading of the Closing Manifesto, floral offering, and tribute to Walter Benjamin and the Roma who suffered the Holocaust.

With: Pilar Parcerisas, Vicente Villatoro, Ricardo Valenti, Enric Umbert, and the poem Papusza. Choir "Voices of Portbou".

EXHIBITION / GONZALO ELVIRA WALTER BENJAMIN. IBIZAN SERIES

Walter Benjamin Library

Opening: Friday, September 5, 7 p.m.

Workshop with the artista

 

September 5-28, 2025

Hours: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

2025/08/30: CABARET SONGS. KURT WEILL

Soprano: Rosa María Hoces

Piano: Amélie Batlle

Staged concert, with the best songs from Berlin in the 20s and 30s, within the framework of the Weimar Republic.

Preview of the 10th Walter Benjamin Summer School, September 5, 6 and 7.

2025/08/08: HISTORICAL POLITICAL POSTERS FROM CATALONIA AND THE BASQUE COUNTRY DURING THE TRANSITION

HISTORICAL POLITICAL POSTERS FROM CATALONIA AND THE BASQUE COUNTRY DURING THE TRANSITION

Lecture on this period by MAGDA ORANICH

Opening: Friday, August 8, 7 p.m.

 

2025/07/30: THE SIXENA CONFLICT

THE SIXENA CONFLICT

By Xavier Munyòs Puiggròs, who has been the lawyer of the Generalitat in the Sixena litigations-

Wednesday, July 30, 7 p.m.

2025/07/19:

Exhibition. Salón dels miralls | Grande Teatre del Liceu, from 18 to 21 July 

Casa de Cultura Les Bernardes, Salt, Diputació de Girona, from 19 September to 20 December. 

Curated by: Pilar Parcerisas 

Production Casa de Cultura Les Bernardes, Salt. Girona Provincial Council Consultancy: ‘Angelus *Novus’ Foundation / Walter Benjamin Library

 With the collaboration of: Associació Passatges de Cultura Contemporània.

On the occasion of the premiere of the opera by the composer Antoni Ros *Marbà on 19 and 21 July 2025, the Hall of Mirrors of the Gran Teatre del Liceu is hosting the exhibition "Walter Benjamin. A journey through the children's imagination between Berlin, Barcelona and Portbou, with surviving children's books from Walter Benjamin's famous collection from the Institut für Jungendbuchforschung, Universität Frankfurt, and toy theatres and retellings of children's stories and sticker albums from the Frederic Marés Museum in Barcelona.

Walter Benjamin (Berlin, 1892-Portbou, 1940) is the most important German intellectual of Jewish origin in the 20th century. A writer, philosopher, literary critic and essayist, he is considered one of its most singular critical, heterodox and prophetic voices and a key figure in contemporary thought. A passionate collector, he amassed a famous collection of children's books and toys, much of which was lost during the exile and confiscation of his possessions. The collection kept by his son Stefan Raphael Benjamin (1918-1972) is the collection we present here for tasting. Frederic Marés y *Deulovol (Portbou, 1893-Barcelona, 1991), of the same generation as Benjamin, brought together in the Frederic Marés Museum in Barcelona the children's imaginary of toy theatres, as well as the cut-outs of German and French figurines, stories and children's games that circulated in Europe at the end of the 19th century. 

The exhibition links Berlin, the alpha of his life, with Barcelona - a city he knew - considered around 1900 to be ‘the city of toys’ with the manufacture of German and French models, and with Portbou, the place where Walter Benjamin spent his twilight years. The toy-book The Transformations of Fritz Sinnnreich (1815) connects theatrical culture with the spirit of play and allows the visitor to be photographed behind his costumes and become a character.

Pilar Parcerisas / Curator

 

 

2025/06/21: WALTER BENJAMIN. FINISHED PASSAGES

Presentation of the book WALTER BENJAMIN. FINISHED PASSAGES of the Valencian writer RAFA GOMAR, by ENRIC UMBERT, poet.

A biographical novel about this Berlin intellectual.

Published by the publishing house Lletra Impresa.

20225/05/24: CATALONIA: 50 COASTAL EXCURSIONS

Presentation of the book CATALONIA: 50 COASTAL EXCURSIONS by its author: JORDI LOGÀS, photographer, mountaineer, and educator.

Published by Cossetània

2025/03/22: TRIBUTE TO CONXITA BADIA, SOPRANO

Tribute to CONXITA BADIA, soprano.

Official commemoration of the 50th anniversary of her death.

Screening of the documentary "Conxita Badia Does Not Exist."

The film is presented by director EULÀLIA DOMÈNECH i BONET, the soprano's great-granddaughter and a director at TV3.

2025/03/01: WOMEN OF BERLIN

Presentation of the book WOMEN OF BERLIN, by ERIKA BORNAY, writer and art critic.

A book of images and stories in the Weimar Republic.

Presented by CARI ORIOL SERRES, profesor of literatura, in dialogue with the author.

A publication by SD Edicions, with the presence of the editor, MARIA LLUÏSA SAMARANCH.

2025/02/15: THE FRAGMENTED WORLD OF PAINTER ÁNGELES SANTOS (Portbou, 1911 - Madrid, 2013)

THE FRAGMENTED WORLD OF PAINTER ÁNGELES SANTOS

(Portbou, 1911 - Madrid, 2013)

Conference by VINYET PANYELLA, writer and cultural researcher

2025/02/13: SONNETTE / SONNETS BY WALTER BENJAMIN

Presentation at the EL SOTERRANI BOOKSTORE, in Tarragona, of the book Sonnette / Sonnets by Walter Benjamin.

Conference by Maria Ramon Cubells, professor and researcher at the Rovira i Virgili University (URV) and Pilar Parcerisas, President of the Angelus Novus Foundation.

Thursday, February 13, 7 p.m.

2025/02/05: SONNETTE / SONNETS BY WALTEWER BENJAMIN

SONNETTE / SONNETS BY WALTEWER BENJAMIN

Presentation at the FOSTER & WALLACE BOOKSTORE, in Vic, of the book Sonnette / Sonnets by Walter Benjamin.

First translation from German to catalán, bilingual edition, by Arnau Ferre Samon.

Conference by Carlos Duarte, poet and Pilar Parcerisas, President of the Angelus Novus Foundation.

Wednesday, February 5, 7 p.m.

2025/02/01: FRANCESC PUJOLS, PHILOSOPHER OF SALVADOR DALÍ

FRANCESC PUJOLS, PHILOSOPHER OF SALVADOR DALÍ

Conference by MAX PÉREZ MUÑOZ, Doctor in philosophy and resident of Portbou.

Saturday, February 1, 6 p.m.

2025/01/22: THE SONNETS OF WALTER BENJAMIN

WALTER BENJAMIN´S SONNETS

Culture Classroom of the Santfeliuenc Athenaeum 

Presentation of the book with Pilar Parcerisas, doctor in Art History, exhibition curator and President of the Angelus Novus Foundation; and Cari Oriol, philologist, professor of literature and advisor to the Foundation

2025/01/18: THE CONSTRUCTION OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN EMPORDÀ. REPUBLICANISM, ANTICLERICALISM AND FREEMASONRY.

THE CONSTRUCTION OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE EMPORDÀ. REPUBLICANISM, ANTICLERICALISM AND FREEMASONRY

Lecture by Alfons Romero Dalmau, historian and President of the Friends of MUME

2025/01/14: PRESENTATION OF THE BOOK SONNETTE/SONETS BY WALTER BENJAMIN

SONNETTE / SONNETS BY WALTER BENJAMIN

By Josep Murgades, philologist, german translator of Kafka, Goethe, Hesse, Bernhard, among others, and Pilar Parcerisas, president of the Angelus Novus Foundation.

First translation from German to Catalan, bilingual edition, by Arnau ferre Samon.

Image 17/09/23: ILLUMINATIONS ON WALTER BENJAMIN. ADVANCE ACTS VIII WALTER BENJAMIN SUMMER SCHOOL Image 17/09/23: ILLUMINATIONS ON WALTER BENJAMIN. ADVANCE ACTS VIII WALTER BENJAMIN SUMMER SCHOOL

17/09/23: ILLUMINATIONS ON WALTER BENJAMIN. ADVANCE ACTS VIII WALTER BENJAMIN SUMMER SCHOOL

We invite you to participate in the Advance Acts of the VIII Walter Benjamin Summer School that will take place on the afternoon of Sunday, September 17, 2023.

-5:15 pm. Performance by the French artist Franck Ancel celebrating 20 years of annual performances around the Passages Memorial. From the station to the Passages Memorial and back to the Walter Benjamin Library.

-Exhibition <8 x 8> of 16 collages of album covers designed by artists on the French-Spanish border, in tribute to Le Rayon Vert by Marcel Duchamp and in relation to the Passages Memorial and Walter Benjamin.

-6 pm. Debate. Art as transformation: a Benjaminian paradigm. Based on the book Art and Transformation, an end-of-century look by Jesús Martínez Clarà. Participants: the author, Jesús Martínez Clarà, Gabriel, Cari Oriol Serres, and Pilar Parcerisas.

-7 pm. Screening of the film "Walter Benjamin. Exile from existence", by Christian Cabane (subtitled).

Starting at 5 pm; we look forward to seeing you!

Location: Walter Benjamin House/Library. Av. de Barcelona, 11. Portbou.

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Image GUIDED TOURS TO THE MEMORIAL PASSAGES TO WALTER BENJAMIN Image GUIDED TOURS TO THE MEMORIAL PASSAGES TO WALTER BENJAMIN

GUIDED TOURS TO THE MEMORIAL PASSAGES TO WALTER BENJAMIN

We offer an itinerary through the main passages of Walter Benjamin in Portbou, including a tour to the Memorial Passages by Dani Karavan.

The Memorial is an homage to all those anonymous fugitives who go into exile in search of freedom. Recently, the Israeli artist has been awarded with the  Premi Nacional de Cultura 2016 (Catalan Culture Award) for this art work.  

We hope to see you soon in Portbou to discover the last passage of Walter Benjamin.

More information and reservations available at thi