La CIBA, Santa Coloma Photo © Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana _ Helena Roig
MANIFESTA 15 gathering 95 participants across 16 venues in12 metropolitain cities takes place in Barcelona from the 8th of September until the 24th of November 2024. This very challenging edition focusing on local voices and multidisciplinary programme aims to develop site-specific projects connected to “pressing issues like climate change, social inequality, and urban development” as Hedwig Fijen, founding director, points out. Of the participants, 55% are producing newly commissioned works and 39% are local. The three leading themes of the biennial are : Balancing Conflicts, Cure and Care and Imagining Futures. Hedwig Fijen is also insisting on a new dynamic space and concept the Mobile Venue, bringing Manifesta 15 to the heart of each community.
Hedwig Fijen (c) Flaminia Pelazzi_Manifesta 15 Barcelona
After Prishtina, what are your priorities for Barcelona as the new hosting city ?
Manifesta 14, held in Prishtina, Kosovo in 2022, was a thought-provoking exploration of a single city’s social fabric. This edition, titled » It matters what worlds world worlds. how to tell stories otherwise, » delved into themes of hospitality, displacement, and post-conflict reconstruction. Artists engaged with Prishtina’s unique history and contemporary challenges, fostering dialogue and reflection within the local community. (For a deeper exploration of Manifesta 14’s program, visit https://manifesta14.org/programme/programme/)
Manifesta 15 in Barcelona Metropolitana marks a significant departure from its predecessor. This edition embraces a decentralized approach, encompassing the largest scope to date of Manifesta with twelve municipalities across the entire metropolitan region. This shift reflects our commitment to exploring the diverse social, ecological, and cultural realities of this vast and interconnected landscape.
By working closely with local artists, institutions, and communities, Manifesta 15 aims to activate a deeper engagement with the region’s specific challenges and opportunities. Artists were encouraged to develop site-specific projects that address pressing issues like climate change, social inequality, and urban development. This collaborative process fosters dialogue and empowers communities to be active participants in shaping their future.
How is Manifesta 15 focusing on actors invested in ecological and community approaches ?
Manifesta 15 is deeply committed to fostering ecological and interdisciplinary programme.
Our focus is on participants and collectives who actively engage with these themes, exploring their implications for the metropolitan region.
First, thematically Manifesta 15 has invested in ecological and community apporaches from the very essence of its conceptual framework. Manifesta 15 aspires to be an activating force for eco-social transformation, through a dynamic programme of artistic interventions, research projects, educational initiatives, and community engagement activities Manifesta 15 is organised in three clusters, which are both thematic and geographic: Balancing Conflicts (Llobregat Delta), Cure and Care (Collserola massif towards Vallès) and Imagining Futures (Besòs River and its surroundings). In these clusters, whose designs are deeply informed by local realities, participants present multidisciplinary work that engages with and reimagines how we relate to one another and the natural resources in our midst.
It is also a core direction we followed in the process of participant selection. Manifesta 15’s participants’ selection process prioritised those collectives whose interdisciplinary practices intersected with critical themes such as ecological and socio-historical issues. Together with the artistic representatives and Filipa Oliveira, we actively invited participants who engage with ecological justice, community engagement, radical pedagogical approaches as well as historic, colonial and urban issues. These chosen participants don’t simply offer observations; they propose proactive ways to empower local communities. Their work aims to foster active participation within surrounding environments, fostering a deeper connection between people and the places they inhabit.
Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana is committed to sustainability and ecological responsibility, which are integral to our community-focused approach. This also translates into our efforts to develop a Mobile Venue in collaboration with IAAC, which will travel to the different municipalities during their Focus Week. This Mobile Venue is a core element of our sustainable approach, reducing the need for permanent structures and minimizing environmental impact.
Through our extensive community-based work, I am proud to highlight the significant contributions of our Education and Mediation department over the past two years. Manifesta’s Education and Mediation program has emerged from collaborative research with local partners, exploring overlooked aspects of educational and cultural histories to envision alternative futures. For Manifesta 15, our focus is on Catalan progressive educational movements before and after the Francoist dictatorship, employing artistic research, mediation, and public programming to engage diverse audiences. Beyond artistic research, the department is dedicated to activating communities and mediating between visitors, schools, and the broader metropolitan region.
M_A_C, Mataró. Photo © Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana _ Helena Roig
Among participants what is the balance between local and international profiles ?
The full list of over 85 participants for Manifesta 15 was published on June 27, 2024, with the remaining names, including those involved in the public programme, to be announced during the Opening Press Conference on September 5, 2024. Of the participants, 55% are producing newly commissioned works and 39% are local. This includes 10 local projects selected by a jury after an open call, aligned with Manifesta 15’s themes. Simultaneously, we have invited a diverse group of international artists whose work resonates with the Manifesta 15’s core themes. It is also a strategic approach that fosters a rich dialogue between local and global perspectives, enabling a comprehensive examination of the region’s challenges and opportunities. By combining local and international voices, we hope to serve as a catalyst for positive change, using art as a tool to identify and address pressing social and ecological issues. The edition extends beyond Barcelona’s city center, encompassing the entire metropolitan region to foster a deeper understanding of its interconnectedness.
Can Trinxet L’hospitalitet de Llogregat photo Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana _ Helena Roig
Manifesta 15 Mobile Venue : what is the concept ?
Each metropolitan city hosting Manifesta 15 will experience a dedicated Focus Week. This concentrated period will spotlight the city’s unique cultural offerings through a tailored program of events and activities developed in collaboration with local partners. To amplify this focus, we have introduced the Manifesta 15 Mobile Venue, a dynamic space designed to travel across the participating municipalities. Functioning as both a cultural hub and a communication platform, the Mobile Venue will anchor each Focus Week, offering a range of programs and activities. This nomadic structure will serve as a driver for engagement, bringing Manifesta 15 to the heart of each community. The fact that this upcycled, functional, and aesthetic model—combining wood and recycled materials—will roll into each city and become a hospitable player in the community will give justified and focused attention to individual cities. We hope this will deepen the biennial’s impact and foster a stronger connection between Manifesta and its host communities.
Are Manifesta 15 topics involved with decolonization and minorities as we can observe in Biennale de Venise’ s Adriano Pedrosa curation ?
Indeed, the themes of decolonization and minorities are integral to both the Venice Biennale and Manifesta 15. Foreigners Everywhere, focuses on the experiences and perspectives of those who are considered outsiders or minorities in various contexts, unpacking traditional notions of identity and national belonging. It is indeed an interesting angle to consider Manifesta’s eco-system within the large framework of the given discourse. I think Manifesta 15 takes a radical action-oriented position, creating achievable frameworks for inclusion and sustainability. The focus on decolonization is reflected in our commitment to engaging with the broader metropolitan area of Barcelona as well as in our integrated archival research. We aim to address historical and contemporary issues of colonialism and marginalization by collaborating with local communities from the centre and the periphery and fostering dialogue between diverse cultural narratives. a good example for this commintment is through our collaboration with Tania Safura Adam and her archival project for Manifesta 15. Her research delves into the intricate dynamics of black diasporas, exploring their movements, resistance and the vibrant landscape of African popular music. At present, Adam is working on the research project titled España Negra: Journey towards blackness in space-time. Additionally, she directs the Iberian Black Studies research group at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia and hosts the thought-provoking Radio Africa programme on Betevé Ràdio. Adam’s commitment to shedding light on underrepresented narratives and fostering cultural understanding is evident in her multifaceted roles as a researcher, curator and cultural advocate.
One of the key aspects of Manifesta 15 is its emphasis on sustainability and reuse, as seen in projects like the one undertaken by architects OJO Estudio. Their work on designing functional spaces with recycled materials symbolizes a commitment to environmental justice, which is inherently linked to social justice. By transforming so-called waste into valuable resources, we address the systemic inequities that often affect marginalized communities disproportionately.
Furthermore, our programming includes a wide array of participatory projects, workshops, and public interventions that actively involve minority groups and local residents. These initiatives are designed to empower these communities, giving them a platform to share their stories and influence the narrative of the biennial.
What is the part of newly commissioned projects for this edition ?
Manifesta 15 places a strong emphasis on new and site-specific work.Of the 85 participants, 55% are producing newly commissioned, created exclusively for this edition. This commitment aligns with the overarching approach of radically investigating the local environment through local participants, production and materials. In-depth pre-biennial research generated a set of critical questions that will guide the development of socio-cultural and ecological participatory projects across the metropolitan region.The selection of these new commissions is carried out by the Manifesta 15 Artistic Team, and Creative Mediator Filipa Oliveira, in collaboration with 11 artistic representatives from the host region. Their collective expertise ensures a diverse and compelling program that resonates with both the local community and international audiences. The Artistic Team is led by me.
Practical Infos :
MANIFESTA 15 Barcelona Metropolitana
12 cities,
12 weeks
September 8/ November 24
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