[spectre] (fwd) Manifesta 8, Murcia/ES, 2010

[Andreas Broeckmann]

MANIFESTA 8

Announcement of new collaborative model for 
Manifesta 8. The Region of Murcia is selected as 
Host Region for Manifesta 8 in dialogue with 
Northern Africa

http://www.manifesta.org

Manifesta, the European Biennial of Contemporary 
Art, is constantly changing its artistic 
parameters as well as its geographic locations 
every two years. The next edition, Manifesta 8, 
will take place in 2010. After Rotterdam (1996), 
Luxembourg (1998), Ljubljana (2000), Frankfurt 
(2002), Donostia-San Sebastián (2004), Nicosia 
(2006 - cancelled) and Trentino-Alto Adige 
(2008), the region of Murcia, Southern Spain, has 
been selected by the International Foundation 
Manifesta (IFM) to be the central location of a 
new extensive collaborative model for Manifesta 8.

Murcia in dialogue with Northern Africa

Manifesta aims to constantly reinvent its own 
curatorial methodology and exhibition model. In 
the past 15 years, Manifesta has moved from the 
more representational format of the first five 
editions, to the reflective format of a school in 
Manifesta 6, to the emphasis on site specific 
artistic production and the use of public spaces 
in Manifesta 7. Now, after Manifesta 7 in the 
'heart of Europe', Manifesta 8 will explore the 
idea of Europe in the 21st century at the edges 
of the continent. More specifically, the aim of 
Manifesta 8 will be to engage with Europe's 
present-day boundaries with Northern Africa and 
its interrelations with the Maghreb region. The 
South of Spain, specifically Al-Andalus, has been 
a historical blend of Islamic, Judaic and 
Christian cultural influences co-existing 
together. This is an inspirational organic ground 
on which the next Manifesta 8 biennale can 
explore new topologies and journeys.

The intellectual and artistic context of 
Manifesta, as well as its social and political 
issues become more relevant than its economical 
potential when put in relation to other 
continents. Common European issues like migration 
and water are a necessary pre-condition for the 
existence of a natural as well as an economic 
system. The Autonomous Province of Murcia is an 
example of how an European borderline area, 
positioned in the East of Spain and close to the 
coast line of Northern Africa, is coping 
effectively with a growing number of issues, 
which are also felt and dealt with in the rest of 
Europe. water and migration are the main issues 
and also important economic factors, essential 
for agriculture. The city of Murcia is located 30 
miles from the Mediterranean sea and is connected 
to the shore through the city of Cartagena, the 
former Roman Cartago Nova, one of the most 
important Iberian cities of the Roman Empire.

Manifesta Curatorial Selection

Besides Manifesta's inherent dynamic of change 
based on its geopolitical itinerant model, 
Manifesta also aims to experiment with innovative 
curatorial models and methodology. Previously, 
the Board and the Director of the International 
Foundation Manifesta as well as the coordinator 
of Murcia made a pre-selection of candidates, and 
then, after an intense process of interviews, 
individual candidates where selected for the 
Curatorial Team in which they were partially 
independent, partially bound to create 
collaborative structures with the other members 
of the team.

Under the new Manifesta 8 approach, the Board is 
not inviting individual art professionals for the 
position of Curator, rather Manifesta is inviting 
existing curatorial groups, artistic and 
interdisciplinary collectives and/or existing 
institutions to be part of the Curatorial Team of 
Manifesta 8 in order to take note of the present 
tendency of self-origination and to stimulate a 
collaborative working method connecting different 
geo-political regions. After a thorough and 
wide-ranging investigation, at this stage a 
number of selected collectives are being invited 
to submit a proposal.

Manifesta 8 is an initiative of the International 
Foundation Manifesta in Amsterdam, The 
Netherlands and the Autonomous Region of Murcia, 
Spain.

Manifesta 8 will take place in the autumn of 2010 
during 100 days of existence. The exact dates 
will be announced at a later stage.

About Manifesta

Manifesta and its related activities are an 
initiative of the International Foundation 
Manifesta in Amsterdam. Manifesta is the only 
itinerant biennial in the world. Every two years 
virtually all parameters change, Manifesta at 
Home in Amsterdam and it's team is the permanent 
backbone structure of this nomadic biennial and 
will build a new synergetic team for Manifesta 8 
together with colleagues from Murcia.

The International Foundation Manifesta is 
supported by the European Commission Culture 
Framework program, The Ministry of Education, 
Culture and Science of The Netherlands.

Sponsors and Collaborators
Government of the Autonomous Region of Murcia · 
City Hall Murcia · City Hall Cartagena

For more information please contact:

International Foundation Manifesta

Hedwig Fijen, Director
hedwigfijen at manifesta.org

Prinsengracht 175 hs
1015 DS Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Phone: +31 20 672 14 35
Fax: +31 20 470 00 73
E-mail: secretariat at manifesta.org