Mugak/ will reveal the keys to its 6th edition in Milan: a debate between ethics, aesthetics, and economy

2026 April 21

21|04|2026

Mugak/ International Architecture Biennial of the Basque Country begins its journey toward 2027 with a major international event. This Wednesday, April 22, at 5:30 PM in Milan, curator María Arana will officially present the conceptual framework that will guide the sixth edition.

In the current context, marked by warmongering, material shortages, a lack of construction professionals, job precariousness, the environmental crisis, housing shortages, AI-driven accelerationism, and the habits of the consumer society, Mugak/ proposes returning architecture to the center of public debate. The new edition will question why, while society fluently debates gastronomy, technology, or fashion, the quality of the spaces we inhabit seems to have been left out of the media's "prime time."

Inspired by the premise of the philosopher and Professor of Aesthetics José María Valverde, who stated that "without aesthetics there is no ethics," the Biennial will explore the complex relationship between good craftsmanship, the right to beauty, and economic accessibility. The goal is to analyze how to democratize access to quality architecture for "ordinary mortals" by recovering efficiency and design benchmarks that have marked the history of housing.

The official title and theme of this edition, which promises to shake the foundations of the sector, will be revealed for the first time during this meeting in Italy, serving as a bridge between the local Basque context and the international architectural landscape. Following this announcement, the activity will move to Donostia-San Sebastián on June 3. The EAI-IAE will host a specific session to break down the details of the theme and present the future Onsite/ and Open/ calls scheduled for this sixth edition, which will take place in the autumn of 2027.

Attend the presentation in Milano: You can register to participate in this event and discover the new direction of Mugak/ before anyone else through the following link