Manifesta as an art biennial with an alternative model
The European Nomadic Biennial is preparing its content for the Barcelona edition using a knowledge and research production model that centres on participatory practices with local culture and citizens.
Biennial literally means “two years” and can be used for describing any two-year event. It is a term commonly used in the world of art for large-format international events and artistic exhibitions held every two years.
As a European biennial, and since the 14th edition held in the city of Pristina in 2022, Manifesta has been transformed from an organisation of major contemporary exhibitions into an interdisciplinary platform that produces knowledge and research, centring on participatory practices with local communities to ensure the biennial responds to local interests, needs and emergencies.
This means that Manifesta 15, the edition being held in Barcelona and its metropolitan area in 2024, will be developed by changing the biennial’s methodology through a complete participatory overhaul according to the interests, needs and emergencies of the host city. Whether through expectation workshops with the arts sector or sessions with local residents, Manifesta 15 Barcelona is being planned as a major event aimed at addressing the needs of the cultural sectors of the eleven participating cities and their people. To work with this community of people and creators who have to define the main programmes for Manifesta 15, the biennial will be adopting professionals as creative mediators tasked with organising and developing alliances with artists and cities from the metropolitan area.
This world view fits in directly with the lines of action of Barcelona City Council’s Cultural Rights Plan, corresponding to measure #2: Grassroots culture and cultural sectors: the right to creation, experimentation, research and cultural production.