The Aragonese capital is once again bringing together top-level experts to delve into Goya and the mysteries of art at a new edition of the International Occult Meeting. From October 29 to 31, the auditorium of the Caja Rural de Aragón (Coso, 29) will host lectures, a guided tour, and a radio recording, all open to the public until the 600 available places are filled.
Driven by writer and journalist Javier Sierra , the program focuses on the less obvious aspects of artistic creation, in keeping with the bicentenary of Goya's birth (1828-2028). Sponsored by the Zaragoza City Council and with the collaboration of the Government of Aragon and the Goya Foundation in Aragon, the event offers a symbolic and critical look at the legacy of the genius from Fuendetodos.
Goya and the mysteries of art: the focus of the program
Ocultura argues that culture can also be understood through its hidden layers: symbols, rituals, science, and esotericism engage in dialogue with the history of art. This is the premise guiding this edition, with Goya as the common thread in debates ranging from witchcraft to anatomy and memory.
The intellectual journey begins with literary references that popularized artistic enigmas, from successes like The Da Vinci Code and The Eight to Jan Potocki's work, The Saragossa Manuscript , whose era and circles suggest links with the painter. This starting point invites us to reconsider how we interpret Goya's images and what each brushstroke holds.
One line of analysis will address the presence of the witch in the Aragonese artist's paintings. Writer Dolores Redondo will examine how stigmatization and popular imagery permeate his work, establishing an iconography of the nocturnal that still resonates with our sensibilities.
From a medical perspective, maxillofacial surgeon Florencio Monje Gil has spent years studying the physiognomies depicted in the Black Paintings. His approach delves into the diagnosis of the represented features and pathologies, opening a debate on the association between ugliness, evil, and moral perspective, a topic already addressed by thinkers such as Umberto Eco.
The program also draws connections with Salvador Dalà , with the help of Montse Aguer , to observe how alchemy, esotericism or atomic physics are linked to an ambition shared by great creators: the search for immortality through art.
Agenda: lectures, guided tour and live radio
On Wednesday, October 29, the meeting will open with two lectures that lay the foundations for the debate: Javier Sierra's own lecture on the magical origin of art and Dolores Redondo's lecture on the figure of the witch in Goya's universe.
- 19:00 Opening.
- 19:15 Art as a door to other worlds, by Javier Sierra.
- 20:15 The Veil of Reason: Goya and the Social Construction of the Witch, by Dolores Round.
On Thursday the 30th, the focus will shift to the anatomy of faces and DalÃ's gaze. The almost clinical value of certain Goyaesque scenes will be explored, along with their dialogue with the tradition of the occult in other avant-garde movements.
- 19:00 The cursed faces of Goya, by the Dr. Florencio Monje Gil.
- 20:00 DalÃ, the endless enigma, by Montse Aguer.
Friday the 31st features special activities: in the morning, an exclusive visit to the exhibition Goya: from the museum to the palace at the AljaferÃa (limited places with prior registration); in the afternoon, the RNE program Espacio en Blanco will be recorded live and two final conferences will be held.
- 10:00 Guided tour of Goya: from the museum to the palace (free with registration at ocultura.com, maximum capacity 100 people).
- 17:00 Live recording of Blank space (RNE), with guests from the meeting.
- 19:00 Goya's Witches, by Clara Tahoces.
- 20:00 Memories of the Future: Art and Memory, by Katherine neville.
- 21:30 Closing.
All sessions will be held in the Auditorium of Caja Rural de Aragón (Coso, 29), with free admission until the 600 available seats are filled. The organizers recommend arriving early to guarantee entry.
Speakers and perspectives
Among the prominent names are the novelist Dolores Redondo , a leading figure in the crime genre and an expert on the imagery of witchcraft; the surgeon Florencio Monje , author of studies on pathology in masterpieces; and Montse Aguer , director of the Dalà Museums, who will draw bridges between iconography and occult sciences.
The lineup is completed by writer and popularizer Clara Tahoces , who will address the witchcraft tradition linked to the Countess of Chinchón and the Capricho Park , and the American author Katherine Neville , famous for novels that explore artistic enigmas and who is working on a new project about painters and their secrets.
As the driving force behind the event, Javier Sierra proposes reclaiming the symbolic interpretation of art to broaden the academic framework without succumbing to superstition. The underlying idea is to transform the occult into culture , opening the conversation to diverse audiences without sacrificing rigor or critical spirit.
With institutional support and the bicentenary on the horizon, this edition of Ocultura reinforces Zaragoza's vocation as a cultural hub that looks at Goya not only as heritage, but as a territory of questions : from the anatomical laboratory to the night of the witches, from the symbol to the memory.
