Given the lack of measures to stem and reduce the temperature increase caused by climate change, and while denialist politicians, like foolish flat-earthers, deny the evidence of a reality already latent among us, many institutions are trying to alleviate the increasingly frequent heat waves, especially in urban environments.
In our cities, increasingly stifled by their status as "heat islands," and in the face of the climate emergency, institutions such as the Círculo de Bellas Artes are proposing "climate shelters" in their facilities, with a conditioned space unrelated to consumption and open to all.
This year, the Círculo is adding activities to the shelter that seek to pause, slow down, or wait, seeking more leisurely rhythms of life. This is especially interesting due to its approach to time as a vital space rather than an economic resource.
Siestódromo. Círculo de Bellas Artes, climate refuge 2025. Photograph courtesy of CBA.
Siestódromo. To reclaim calm, rest, slowness, and the right to laziness, this small garden has been joined by an installation that reflects on the intention of STOP, with a set of sleeping places and rest devices dubbed the siestódromo: hammocks for reading, relaxing, or taking a leisurely nap. The space opened on Thursday, July 10th, with a reading of Georges Perec's Life: A User's Manual, alongside the Pérgamo bookstore, and an electronic music session by Massi Cassu, which proposes a deep-listening sound nap.
Throughout the summer, until September 7th, a space has been set up with everything needed to work comfortably: water fountains, chess, reading, and board game corners (in collaboration with Tranjis Games), as well as a plant nursery, where plants can be left during the holidays, cared for by a team of professionals who will take care of their watering and maintenance.
Siestódromo. Círculo de Bellas Artes, climate refuge 2025. Photograph courtesy of CBA.
Program.
Parallel activities will take place around the shelter, offering a subtle way of resisting the demands of hyper-productivity. With the "Textile Deconstruction" workshop, led by Clara Macías (Saturday, July 12), we'll be able to cut, transform, and play with clothes we no longer wear. Reading is Sexy presents "Silent Spring, Cruel Summer," a video creation about the eco-social crisis with texts by authors such as Rachel Carson and Naomi Klein, narrated by Taylor Swift. Isabela Lenzi, curator of the "We Are Roots" exhibition (in the Círculo's Picasso room), will lead special tours of the exhibition. Cooking will also be discussed through a discussion between Mikel López Iturriaga and María Sánchez, who will explore the evolution of gastronomy, exploring habits, sustainability, and the future.
Literature will have a special focus through group readings, book presentations, and storytelling. On Friday (July 11th), it was Emma Ríos' turn to talk about her comic "Anzuelo" (Angle), along with Diego Salgado and Elisa McCausland. On Sunday the 13th, we'll hear "La poción mágica de Berta," a musical and ecological storytelling piece. And on Wednesday the 16th, there will be the presentation of "Vida de ricos" (Rich Life) by Emilio Santiago Moíño, an eco-socialist proposal that imagines a desirable, collective, and sustainable life beyond collapse.
Finally, Escuela SUR and La Imprenta bookstore are organizing a very special reading party. It's a gathering for reading together: no screens, no rush, no noise. Just you and your book for an hour of reading together, followed by an open conversation about books, art, and whatever else comes up. It will take place on Wednesday, July 23rd, at 7:00 PM.
