Manifesta 12 accused of colonialist aesthetics in Palermo

Marcello Faletra's critical editorial on Artribune argues that Manifesta 12 in Palermo operates as a colonialist spectacle. The biennial, directed by Hedwig Fijen, is accused of imposing a multiculturalist agenda that treats the city as a reservoir of differences while ignoring structural problems like lack of sewers in Danisinni. Faletra criticizes artists for presuming to solve political issues through site-specific works that rely on stereotypes, and notes that promotional materials are exclusively in English, an authoritarian gesture in a context where Italian is barely spoken. He compares the event to a global mise-en-scène that packages historical dereliction for intellectual tourism, with artworks that promise rather than manifest art, echoing Boris Groys. The critique extends to the broader phenomenon of art as a form of welfare aestheticism that vanishes after the event, serving global capital rather than genuine coexistence.