Activities

Since 2019, each year at the end of September, the Angelus Novus Foundation organizes, together with the Association Passages of Contemporary Culture, the Walter Benjamin summer school and the commemorative acts of Benjamin's death in Porthou. It also organizes conferences and exhibitions on art, literature, history, modernity and, in particular, activities around the figure of Walter Benjamin and Dani Karavan. The Foundation has also received at the Walter Benjamin Library Catalan High School students from first and second year.

2025

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)

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.

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

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

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

Lecture at the Walter Benjamin Library in Portbou by MAX PÉREZ MUÑOZ, Doctor of Philosophy and resident of Portbou

Saturday, February 1, 7 p.m.

2025/01/22: PRESENTATION IN THE CULTURE CLASSROOM OF THE SANTFELIUENC ATENEO OF THE BOOK SONNETTE/SONETS BY WALTER BENJAMIN

Wednesday, January 22 at 7 p.m.

By Pilar Parcerisas, doctor in Art History, exhibition curator and President of the Angelus Novus Foundation; 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.

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

2025-/-01/14: PRESENTATION AT THE REUS READING CENTER OF THE BOOK SONNETTE/SONETS BY WALTER BENJAMIN

Tuesday, January 14 at 7 p.m.

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.

2024

2024/12/14: CHRISTMAS AT THE WALTER BENJAMIN LIBRARY

Literary workshop, fragments of Walter Benjamin´s book “Childhood in Berlin around 1900”. Director: Cari Oriol Serres

Christmas Concert: Veus de Portbou, Piano: Anatoli Serra. Director: Margarida Serra

Inauguration of the Christmas tree dedicated to the text “A Christmas Angel” by Walter Benjamin.

Decorated with old postcards of cities thar benjamín knew. Christmas poems and participation of children and local artists.

2024/11/23: MONTSERRAT VAYREDA CENTENARY

Conference: ANNA MARIA VELAZ, curator of the Montserrat Vayreda Year

Montserrat Vayreda: Nature and Poetry

“Nature is the only one that can save us from drowning on the asphalt.”

 Poem recital. Direction: Cari Oriol Serres, with local actors.

 Presentation of the books published and republished on the occasion of the centenary: The ribbon of the road, Book of the towns of Empordà, A color for each friend, i Vayreda i Sibecas. The friendship between the line and the verse

2024/10/19: IS THIS CALLIGRAPHY? IS THIS ART?

Abstract expressionism or Shodo or the path of Sino-Japanese calligraphy on the occasion of the centenary of Antoni Tàpies.

Presentation: Jesús Martínez Clarà, art critic and San-Dan Shodo teacher from the Nihon-Shûji of Japan.

Calligraphy exhibition by the members of ACASHODO of Girona.

Performance: “Infinite Stroke”, with EvaIbáñezCano.

Violin: Branislav Grbić.

2024/10/05: HANNAH ARENDT, A WORLD AT PLAY

Presentation of the book Hannah Arendt, a world at play by Fina Birulés.

Presented by Imma Merino, professor of Film History at the University of Girona.

2024/08/24: THE DESTRUCTION OF PARADISE?

Ibiza, Walter Benjamin and the first tourist development.

By Pilar Parcerisas, Carlos Duarte, Lluís Costa and Bruno Ferrer.

The event also includes the screening of the film The Last Frontier, which includes an interview with Jean Selz about Ibiza.

2024/08/16: THE MUSIC OF PROTEINS

By Ernest Giralt, scientist and composer. national chemistry prize 2011. professor of organic chemistry at the UB and professor emeritus at the Biomedia Research Institute (IRB)

2024/08/14: A SUMMER WITH VAN GOGH

Presentation of the novel by Anna  Maria Corredor.

Presented by Cari Oriol Serres, with the presence of the autor.

2024/08/10: INAUGURATION OF THE "REPUBLICAN POSTERS OF THE CIVIL WAR" EXHIBITION

 Conference by Santi Barjau, doctor in art history and author of the blog "Els meus cartelistes"

The exhibition will remain open every day until August 24, from 5 to 8 in the afternoon.

2024/08/08: “PARÍS-AUSTERLITZ-PORTBOU”, BY ÀNGEL DE VEGA

Presentation of Ángel de Vega's novel, "Paris-Austerlitz-Portbou"

By Cari Oriol Serres with the presence of the author.

2024/08/04: “THE METAMORPHOSIS AND THE INCLUSION OF ANIMALS IN KAFKA'S WORK. METAPHOR AND DEFORMATION” 

CENTENARY OF KAFKA'S DEATH. TRIBUTE TO KAFKA AND HIS WORK

 Conference by Cari Oriol Serres.

2024/08/02:” THE AMERICAN RADAR. ARCHITECTURE, ART, VISUAL COMMUNICATION AND THE COLD WAR” BY VICENÇ ALTAIÓ 

Presentation of the book by the author, Vicenç Altaio, poet and dealer of ideas and Mar Arnal, architect

2024/08/01: THE CROSS-BORDER SELF. FROM SILENCE TO THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE SUBJECT.

Conference by Júlia Yufera, researcher in mysticism, philosophy and ethics.

2024/06/29: JOSEP PLA. GERMAN INFLATION. CHRONICLES 1923-1924

Round table on the occasion of the presentation of the book with Xavier Pla, a professor at the UdG who took care of the edition. Josep Maria Fradera, author of the prologue, historian and Professor at the Pompeu Fabra University. Berta Ares, journalist and researcher in the literary legacy of Joseph Toth and Doctor in Humanities from the Pompeu Fabra Univedrsity.

They will talk about Josep Pla, Walter Benjamin and Joseph Roth.

22/06/2024: INTERVIEW WITH PAOLO PAGANI, PHILOSOPHER AND JOURNALIST FROM MILAN

Presentation of Paolo Pagani's book "In cammino with Walter Benjamin. Il naufragio di un genio e le idee della sua epoca”

2024/06/21: THE BORDER THAT ALMA MAHLER COULD NOT CROSS / EUROPEAN MUSIC DAY

Her facet as a composer. Conference-concert by Sofía Martínez Villar, disseminator of the National Orchestra of Spain.

Projections and music: flute and cello.

2024/06/15: CATALONIA, FILM SET

Presentation of Daniel Romaní's book "Catalunya, film set". Portbou and the film "The Last Frontier"

Movie sets that can be visited.

Projection of images and musical performance by EROLA (voice) and Daniel Romaní on piano.

2024/05/25. Philosophical Coffee In Divina Veritas. Consciousness or collapse: critical thinking in the face of a faltering world. Dialogue with the philosopher Jordi Pigem, conducted by Ignasi Rifé, coordinator of Elea.

2024/04/27: EXPERIENCE AS RESISTANCE. READINGS BY WALTER BENJAMIN

Presentation of the book by Lluís Montull

The book presents how Walter Benjamin rethought the concept of philosophical experience based on resistance and uprooting. And he delves into how his work offers significant tools to understand our present, increasingly closer to collapse.

30/03/2024: "ELS MASSALLERAS". THE BEGINNINGS OF MUSICAL LIFE IN PORTBOU

Tribute to the musicinas of the past

Act dedicated to the memory and remenbrance of these pioneers of music who filled the parties, dances, concerts... of that Portbou of proges and culture with their musical art.

09/03/2024: ROAD, ROADS OF ANTONIO MACHADO ... AND COLLIOURE

A vision of Antonio Machado and Collioure by Jacques Issorel, honorary professor at the University of Perpignan. He has been director of the Department of Hispanic Studies and director of the D.E.A. (doctoral course)

FEBRUARY-JUNE. KAFKA-BENJAMIN SEMINAR. THE KAFKA INTERFACE: INTERRUPTIONS AND CONNECTIONS

New views on Franz Kafka (1893-1924) on the centenary of his death from the perspective of Walter Benjamin. Kafka's narrative work is seen from the problems that still challenge us today: violence, exile, economic and political transformations, immigration, historical memory, loneliness and law.

2023

09/22-24/23. VIII WALTER BENJAMIN SUMMER SCHOOL. “HISTORY AND MEMORY. EXILE AND RESISTANCE”.

From September 22 to 24, 2023, the VIII edition of the Walter Benjamin Summer School took place in Portbou under the title “History and Memory. “Exile and resistance.” Speakers: Cari Oriol Serres, Jordi Palou-Loverdos, Carme Alda Elorza, Sara Barroso, Maria Gelpí, Amalia Rodríguez Monroy and Maria Mailat.

09/17/2023. Illuminations on Walter Benjamin. Afternoon preview of the Walter Benjamin Summer School 2023. Performance and exhibition by the artist Franck Anckel, round table on Walter Benjamin and the revelance of his ideas at the beginning of the 21st century, with the participation of Jesús Martínez Clarà, art critic, Gabriel, sculptor, Cari Oriol Serres, philologist and Pilar Parcerisas, art critic. Projection of film by Walter Benjamin. Exilé of existence, by Christian Cabane, subtitled into Spanish.

04/08/2023. The route of freedom in the sea of Albera, with Pilar Parcerisas, President of the Angelus Novus Foundation, Oriol Falguera, President of the Reeixida Foundation, Alfons Romero, historian, and Montserrat Vilà, daughter of the first passer of the freedom routes.

29/07/2023. Elsa Lasker-Schüler, Nelly Sachs and Gertrud Kolmar. Three poets who suffered the Holocaust. Conference by Cari Oriol Serres. It will also take place at the Goethe-Institut in Barcelona.

20/07/2023/18-19-20. Book binding workshop. From the fold to the seam, by Poncho Martínez, Bibliophile 2022 prize of the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Sports. Book-making, preservation and binding workshop.

03/06/2023. Philosophical Café In Divina Veritas, conducted by Ignasi Rifé on the topic: Are we at the end of History? organized jointly with Elea. School of Philosophy.