Manifesta's Rhetoric Deconstructed at NABA Seminar
At NABA, a seminar led by Elvira Vannini with second-year students from Visual Arts and Curatorial Studies explored the history of Manifesta. The discussion referenced Vesna Madžoski's 2013 work "De Cvratoribvs," which labels Manifesta as "the spectacle of cancellation," and Marco Scotini's "Il brand Manifesta," critiquing the biennial's self-perception. Madžoski claimed that Manifesta manages its archive, highlighting director Hedwig Fijen's acknowledgment of an undisclosed prehistory. Scotini characterized it as a post-Fordist enterprise of the EU, while Marina Gržinić introduced the term "Manifestology" to examine it as a manifestation of global capitalism. Established in 1992, Manifesta's inaugural edition took place in Rotterdam (1994), and the 12th edition in Palermo (2018) focused on humanitarian concerns. Contributions from the seminar will be published online.
Key facts
- Seminar at NABA, Milan, led by Elvira Vannini with second-year Visual Arts and Curatorial Studies students.
- Key texts: Vesna Madžoski's 'De Cvratoribvs: The Dialectics of Care and Confinement' (2013) and Marco Scotini's 'Il brand Manifesta'.
- Madžoski called Manifesta 'the spectacle of cancellation' and accused it of controlling its archive.
- Manifesta director Hedwig Fijen stated the biennial's prehistory was never made public.
- Marco Scotini defined Manifesta as a post-Fordist EU enterprise.
- Marina Gržinić coined 'Manifestology' to critique Manifesta's ties to global capitalism.
- Manifesta founded in 1992 by Dutch government; first edition in Rotterdam (1994); International Foundation Manifesta established in Amsterdam (1999).
- Manifesta 12 in Palermo (2018) linked to migrant crisis and humanitarian discourse.
- Only Ljubljana (Eastern Bloc) has hosted Manifesta; city selection compared to Olympics/Expo.
- Online publication '(Un)pinning the Butterfly. Le retoriche di Manifesta' forthcoming on Hotpotatoes.
Entities
Artists
- Elvira Vannini
- Vesna Madžoski
- Marco Scotini
- Marina Gržinić
- Hedwig Fijen
- Antonia Algeri
- Carmine Agosto
- Maria Chiara Baccanelli
- Lisa Barbieri
- Isabella Boghetti
- Giulia Carletti
- Federico Catagnoli
- Oliviero Fiorenzi
- Veronica Franzoni
- Benedetta Incerti
- Maria Teresa Lattarulo
- Carolina Mancini
- Beatrice Mantovani
- Edoardo Manzoni
- Cecilia Meroni
- Kim Yoogin
- Giada Olivotto
- Laura Pessina
- Ilaria Pittassi
- Roberta Riccio
- Daniela Sangiorgio
- Emanuele Tira
- Mauro Valsecchi
Institutions
- NABA (Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti di Milano)
- Manifesta
- International Foundation Manifesta
- European Art Manifestation (EAM)
- Open Society Institute
- Biennale di Parigi
- Biennale di Venezia
- Hotpotatoes
- Artribune
Locations
- Milan
- Italy
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Rotterdam
- Palermo
- Ljubljana
- Europe