Manifesta 13 Opens in Marseille with Winy Maas's Urban Study

Manifesta 13 has inaugurated in Marseille with a phased opening on August 28, September 11, September 25, and October 9, 2020, due to the health crisis. The biennial's theme, 'Traits d'union.s', explores creating relationships and solidarity bonds for new forms of collectivity. This theme stems from 'Le Grand Puzzle', a study of Marseille conducted by Dutch architect Winy Maas, co-founder of MVRDV, commissioned by Manifesta for its 2020 edition. The study aims to unlock knowledge and structures as a foundation for the biennial, viewing Marseille as a mosaic of identities shaped by centuries of migration from Jewish, Armenian, Italian, Spanish, French, Algerian, and North African communities. Maas stated that the puzzle allows the city's contrasts and contradictions to emerge, serving as a preliminary portrait and a tool for artists and designers. The study's conclusions led to 'Le Tour de Tous les Possibles', a program creating alternative civic participation forms, led by local city makers Joke Quinten and Tarik Ghezali, running throughout 2020. Manifesta director Hedwig Fijen expressed hope that Marseille could become a site for new civic cooperation, with Le Grand Puzzle serving as a source of local knowledge for transformation. This approach was first developed during Manifesta's Palermo edition, where the biennial conducted preliminary research on the host city's history, traditions, society, and culture to inform long-term planning.