Architect Sergio Pardo becomes the first creative mediator for Manifesta 15
Sergio Pardo is the first creative mediator for Manifesta 15. The figure of the creative mediator differs from that of a curator, acting instead as a mediator or coordinator of a collective process, someone who can liaise with the Fundació Manifesta 15 and at the same time have a global vision of the project and define its contents.
Sergio Pardo is a New York-based cultural manager, curator and architect, an expert in cultural policies, the generation of creative spaces and public art. He has helped curate and manage projects with institutions such as the Venice Architecture Biennale, the Fundación Canal de Isabel II and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Sergio also advises federal and municipal governments around the world on strategies for using culture as a tool for social commitment, civic pride and economic development. He is currently the head of the Percent for Art programme from the New York City Department for Cultural Affairs and is an associate professor with the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development at New York University.
The next European Nomadic Biennial will have an alternative focus compared to previous editions. Pardo will not be offering a new urban vision of Barcelona and its metropolitan area but has explored the extensive urban research carried out in the city in the last forty years. The synthesis of this research will be the starting point for the conceptual framework of Manifesta 15 Barcelona, determining where work is done, with whom and in what capacity.
The research will involve Barcelona and the ten participating municipalities in the metropolitan region: Badalona, Cornellà de Llobregat, El Prat del Llobregat, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Granollers, Mataró, Sabadell, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Santa Coloma de Gramenet and Terrassa.