Barcelona Llibres

For 12,000 years, war has shaped most aspects of life in societies, and it continues to exert significant influence over human behaviour. War is omnipresent in the world today and is certainly linked to the prevailing economic system. It is now more visible than ever, yet its essential nature and causes have never been more difficult to distinguish.

War damages democracy and justice, as well as corrupting memory; it is the norm amidst the growing deregulation inherent to today’s world of contemporary globalisation. Among other effects, it fuels anachronistic cultural structures, like the patriarchy, and opens up scenes of devastation, such as humanitarian crises. War has profound and traumatic repercussions on all levels, yet it is a ‘place’ that fascinates people. It is governed by ambivalence and there is no easy way to leave it behind. Given this panorama, the question is: why war?

This publication brings together reflections from a group of authors on wars and the wounds it inflicts on people, spaces and landscapes. At the same time, it showcases the contemporary art pieces displayed during the exhibition ‘Why War?’ at El Born CCM from 15 March to 29 September 2024, which interrogate the multifaceted phenomenon of war and, through different aesthetic experiences, propose an opening of spaces of clarity and thought that question the persistence of military violence.