Josep Maria Aragay Borràs in Portugal at ‘Ágora De Cá’

ZET Gallery and Passeio have just announced the presence of Josep Maria Aragay Borràs, a Spanish researcher, teacher, and coordinator of community art projects, and responsible for the “Basket Beat” project and the Festival of Community Arts of Catalonia (FAACCC), in their 2nd cycle of Ágora de Cá debates.

Scheduled for January 31 at the gallery, this session is part of the “What Can Art Do?” series and aims to explore different perspectives on the role of art in contemporary society in a debate under the theme “Reunir, Repartir, Redistribuir?”.

The gallery also announced the participation of Hugo Cruz, from PARTIS/Art for Change, Gabriela Gomes, coordinator of the community art project “Por um galho”, funded by Gulbenkian, Teresa Mora, sociologist and collaborator at Passeio, Sandra Baía, an artist currently exhibiting at ZET gallery and Abel Coentrão, a journalist and the moderator for the debate.

“This debate promises an in-depth analysis of the transformative role of art in contemporary society, and we hope that the community in Braga that takes an interest in these issues will actively participate. The cycle was created for a wide audience, ranging from cultural and artistic agents to the academic community, educators, artists, creators, and the community at large, as well as policymakers with whom we want to reinforce that culture, should be the subject and not just the appendix,” emphasises Helena Mendes Pereira, director and curator of ZET gallery.

She also assures that throughout the cycle, extending until the end of 2025, there will be a focus on themes challenging the structures of artistic creation and programming. The goal is to foster comprehensive discussions on the construction of critical thinking and civic action in the world.

It is worth emphasising that this initiative by ZET Gallery and Passeio draws inspiration from Spinoza’s premise, as reflected in his Ethics III “For indeed, no one has yet determined what the body can do; that is, experience has not yet taught anyone what the body can do from the laws of Nature alone, insofar as Nature is only considered to be corporeal and what the body can do only if it is determined by the mind”.

These sessions will be attended by various speakers, including programme makers/curators, critics, researchers, creators and journalists, to facilitate a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to the complex issues surrounding the relationship between artistic creation and society.