Manifesta has held its 2022 edition in Priština, the capital of Kosovo
Manifesta 14, the European Nomadic Biennial concluded in Priština with a cultural programme of 100 days of art, performances, events and workshops with the aim of empowering local residents to reclaim public space and rethink the significance of an international biennial in a post-pandemic world.
Manifesta 14 was held in Priština, the capital de Kosovo, between 22 July and 30 October 2022, attracting over 800,000 visitors. Barcelona and a further 10 cities from the metropolitan area are to play host to its next edition, Manifesta 15, in 2024. Seventy-seven artists took part, close to half of whom are originally from the Balkans. The visual artists Núria Güell, Lua Coderch and Luz Broto also took part, representing Catalonia.
Manifesta 14 was intended to provide Kosovo citizens with support in their ambitions to reclaim public space and re-write the future of their capital as an open metropolis in the Balkans and Europe, through the development of a new cultural institution. The cultural programme was designed for transforming the biennial model into a participatory and collaborative catalyst for social change.
One of Europe’s youngest capitals therefore became the epicentre of an alternative art biennial model. Manifesta had been working collectively over the last two years with local urban planners, culture professionals, artists and thinkers to design a programme of activities and aimed to become a kind of ‘temporary incubator’ for producing knowledge and innovative and participatory practices. One of the programme’s priority goals and part of the strategy for repositioning as a Biennial was to meet the needs and interests of the Kosovar communities such as the creation of sustainable projects and international recognition of Kosovar talent. Rethinking the classic biennial concept also led to the creation of Kosovo’s first artistic mediation school, which offers training for young people and establishes an infrastructure for continuing with these practices.
Manifesta has established a permanent base in Kosovo for the first time in its history. Manifesta 14 Prishtina, as a legal authority and organisation, continues to operate as a tool for cultural policy and infrastructure development in Prishtina and its cultural scene. In addition, the Centre for Narrative Practice will be maintained as a cultural institution over the coming years, as will other artistic activities carried out throughout the city.
Manifesta has accordingly moved on from temporariness to coherence, from being an ephemeral exhibition event to being a possible place for more sustainable, more inclusive and longer-term practices. The Barcelona edition of Manifesta in 2024 will most certainly be shaped on the basis of the milestones achieved and the practices of this new biennial model tried and tested in the capital of Kosovo this summer.