Revealed Cities. Territories of Art and Research
REVEALED CITIES
Members: Julia Ramos, Marianne Von Luken, Esteban Khalil, Mariela Zunino, Noelia Ugalde, Facundo Rodriguez Alonso
Founded: 2013 – present
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Contact: [email protected]
Website: http://ciudadesreveladas.com.ar
What is Revealed Cities?
Revealed Cities [CR] is a cultural action collective born in Buenos Aires that critically reflects on territories through diverse collective practices of art and research.
The project began in 2013 with an International Film and City Festival that, across four central editions and countless itinerant and special screenings both nationally and internationally, became a key reference for initiatives aiming to weave cinematic and audiovisual narratives and promote a critical gaze on urban transformations, conflicts/resistances, and the ways we dispute our shared lives.
Since then, driven by this central idea, the collective has unfolded various lines of work, gradually evolving into a platform where multiple practices converge: education and learning, research and methodological experimentation aimed at producing collective and situated knowledge, and the creation of cultural projects around contemporary urban and territorial phenomena.
Today, the film showcase that originally gave name and form to the collective has evolved into a festival—or rather, into a broad and evolving conversation in time and format. This central project of [CR], irregular in frequency and scale, fosters encounters among political, academic, and cultural actors and communities through a program that interweaves diverse experiences, practices, works, and collective productions—our own and others’—centered on the shaping of urban and territorial realities.
Activities
-4 central editions with 160 audiovisual screenings and over 7,000 participants
-Special screenings in the UK, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, and Spain
-Special editions in Jujuy, Bariloche, Tucumán, and Rosario, in collaboration with local universities, institutions, and collectives
-Numerous academic screenings (UNGS, FADU, FSOC, UNPAZ, UNLP, UNA, ETSAM)
-Screenings at CCK, Cine Gaumont, CNB, CCC, Cine Cosmos, Centro Cultural de las Ciencias, and other prominent venues in Buenos Aires
-Guest project in undergraduate and postgraduate academic programs
-“The City in One Minute” audiovisual workshop for teenagers in Barrio Carlos Mugica with Ojo de Pez and NGO Conviven
-Member of Contested Territories project—an international and intersectoral network between Europe and Latin America for research on territorial inequalities
-Curators for BLURRR (https://blurrr.tv/home)
-Co-producers of documentary films
-Publications
Difficulties
The main challenge has been sustaining self-managed projects, both financially and in terms of balancing professional, maternal, and personal commitments. Dedication to the project has fluctuated over the years, intensifying with each festival edition or specific project.
A significant turning point was the transition from a “film festival” into a broader platform combining different narratives, practices, and formats to reflect on urban and territorial issues. This shift required new working methods, diversified funding strategies, and the ability to support the evolving interests of team members while assembling new working groups.
Future Challenges
Our main upcoming goal is to hold the 5th edition of the Revealed Cities Festival in Madrid, Spain. This entails building networks and learning how to produce in another country, adapting to its institutions and ways of doing. Following this, the collective will determine new directions and work lines.
