[ARENA] (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  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  manifesta.org