The 5th edition of BoCA - Biennial of Contemporary Arts, which takes place simultaneously in Lisbon and Madrid, proposes a journey across Iberia that challenges the boundaries between geographical territories, cultures, imaginations and artistic practices. Curated by John Romão, BoCA 2025 arrives as the cultural event that best represents the Iberian art scene, encompassing diverse artistic disciplines — performance, visual art, music and cinema — and over 30 cultural institutions across Lisbon and Madrid — theatres, museums, cultural centres, cinemas and heritage sites. Through this borderless cultural and geographical reconfiguration, the Biennial builds a stage that is both singular and plural, reflecting voices from the artistic and cultural fabric of both countries and fomenting contemporary artistic production in an international context. By inviting artists from diverse backgrounds to try out new collaborations and formats, enter into dialogue with communities and journey across artistic terrain, BoCA embraces the encounter with the “other” as a political and artistic practice of alterity. It is in this context that BoCA has commissioned and presents unique projects — including world and national premieres — that challenge borders, be they geographical or political, creative or experimental.
Next events
- Lisboa
-
10 September – 26 October
Installation
Espaço BoCA
Free admission
Os Espacialistas
Mappa: Concetto Spaziale
Designed for Espaço BoCA in Lisbon, the Espacialista scenographic installation entitled “Mappa: Concetto Spaziale” was created to be the biennial’s meeting point, a space that hosts concerts, performances, talks, workshops, a store and moments of conviviality. -
Elena Córdoba, Francisco Camacho
Uma ficção na dobra do mapa
A reunion between two choreographers, returning to a dialog that began ten years ago, where memory and the body are living archives. Based on the idea of inhabiting each other, this project revisits the deep sharing between the two, now aware of the transformations of time and the way the past resonates in the present. -
28 September
performance
Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal
Free admission
Isabel Cordovil
Historia do Escudo
The performance invites the public on a reflective walk, starting at the Goethe-Institut in Madrid and the National Library in Lisbon, towards the site of the action, collectively reimagining the relationship between care, resistance and public space. Part of the “I Want to See My Mountains” cycle.
- Madrid
-
27 – 28 September
theatre, dance
Museo Nacional del Prado
Tiago Rodrigues, Sofia Dias & Vítor Roriz, Patrícia Portela, Angélica Liddell, Rodrigo García
Words and gestures: for a performative collection at Museo del Prado
“Words and Gestures” is a cycle that invites four theater artists - Tiago Rodrigues (PT) with Sofia Dias& Vítor Roriz (PT), Patrícia Portela (PT), Angélica Liddell (ES) and Rodrigo García (AR/ES) - to write and direct creations inspired by works from the Prado Museum’s collection. -
27 September
performance
Goethe-Institut Madrid
Free admission
Isabel Cordovil
Historia do Escudo
The performance invites the public on a reflective walk, starting at the Goethe-Institut in Madrid and the National Library in Lisbon, towards the site of the action, collectively reimagining the relationship between care, resistance and public space. Part of the “I Want to See My Mountains” cycle. -
28 September
performance
Real Jardín Botánico
Free admission
Gemma Luz Bosch
El Sonido del Barro
Gemma Luz Bosch creates ceramic instruments that transform clay into music. In this performance, she leads the audience on an intimate and attentive listen. Crafts, sound and landscape merge, revealing the poetry of the molded earth. Part of the “I Want to See My Mountains” cycle.
Mappa: Concetto Spaziale, new Espacialista installation for Espaço BoCA
Designed for Espaço BoCA in Lisbon, the scenographic installation entitled “Mappa: Concetto Spaziale” was created to be the biennial’s meeting point, a space that hosts concerts, performances, talks, workshops, a store and moments of conviviality.
Performance cycle “I Want to See My Mountains” returns in the 5th edition of BoCA Biennial
With Isabel Cordovil, Gemma Luz Bosch and Janet Novás
Camino Irreal is the title of the 5th edition of the BoCA 2025 biennial
Check out the programme
BoCA revealed in Lisbon and Madrid, on July 15 and 16, respectively, the first confirmations of the artists and projects that make up its 5th edition.
BoCA Sub21
Participatory project for artistic thought and creation in Lisbon and Madrid
BoCA Sub21 is a participatory and experimental project that was born during the first edition of the BoCA contemporary arts biennial. For young people aged between 16 and 21.