War has shaped almost every aspect of social life for the past 12,000 years and continues to have a powerful influence on human behaviour. War provokes far-reaching traumatic repercussions in all areas and, at the same time, it is a “place” that arouses fascination. Therefore, the question remains: why war?

This publication brings together reflections from a group of authors on wars and the wounds they inflict on people, spaces and landscapes. It contains articles by David Alegre Lorenz, Miguel Alonso Ibarra, Jordi Font Agulló, Carolina García Sanz, Marta Marín-Dómine, Laura Muñoz-Encinar, Xosé M. Núñez Seixas, Javier Rodrigo and Francesc Torres.

The book also features the contemporary art works exhibited in the exhibition “Why war?”, held at El Born CCM from 15 March to 29 September 2024. The works examine the multifaceted phenomenon of war and, from diverse aesthetic experiences, opens up spaces for clarity and thought that question the persistence of the violence of war.

The presentation will be given by Jaume Muñoz, director of Cultural Heritage, Jordi Font Agulló, director of “Memorial Democràtic” and curator of the exhibition, Marta Marín-Dòmine, curator of the exhibition and director of El Born CCM 2021- 2023, and the historian Javier Rodrigo,  author of one of the articles in the book.

The publication has been produced by El Born CCM and Barcelona City Council Publishing Services.