Manifesta 13 Marseille Confronts Urban Crisis Through Socially-Engaged Art
On August 28, 2020, Manifesta 13, a traveling art biennale, commenced in Marseille and will continue until October 29, with virtual events available until November 26. The exhibition takes place across more than twenty locations, such as the Musée d'Histoire de Marseille and Palais Longchamp, addressing the tragic 2018 collapse of two buildings that resulted in eight fatalities and displaced 800 individuals. Samia Henni, an architect from Algeria, presents an installation focusing on police racism, while Martine Derain showcases images of abandoned apartments. Cameron Rowland offers a critique of the U.S. parole system, and a satellite program documents local activist organizations. Curated by Stefan Kalmár, Katerina Chuchalina, and Alya Sebti, the biennale has faced scrutiny regarding municipal funding and gentrification. The following edition is planned for Kosovo.
Key facts
- Manifesta 13 ran from August 28 to October 29, 2020, in Marseille, with online events until November 26.
- The biennale responds to a 2018 tenement collapse in Marseille that killed eight people and displaced around 800.
- Over twenty venues include the Musée d'Histoire de Marseille, Musée Grobet-Labadié, and Palais Longchamp.
- Curators are Stefan Kalmár (ICA London), Katerina Chuchalina (V-A-C Foundation), and Alya Sebti (Ifa Gallery Berlin).
- Samia Henni's installation addresses institutional police racism and urban mismanagement in Marseille.
- Cameron Rowland's work examines the U.S. parole system, where nearly four million people are monitored.
- Local activists criticized the event for diverting municipal funds from community causes.
- The next Manifesta edition will be held in Kosovo.
Entities
Artists
- Samia Henni
- Martine Derain
- Cameron Rowland
- Ali Cherri
- Mohamed Bourouissa
- Marc Camille Chaimowicz
Institutions
- Manifesta
- Musée d'Histoire de Marseille
- Musée Grobet-Labadié
- Palais Longchamp
- Musée des Beaux-Arts
- Musée Cantini
- ICA
- V-A-C Foundation
- Ifa Gallery
Locations
- Marseille
- France
- Algeria
- United States
- Kosovo
- London
- Moscow
- Berlin
- Palermo