Manifesta Annual Report 2013 by Diana Hillesheim

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Manifesta Foundation

manifesta IN 2013

COLOPHON

This report has been published by the Manifesta Foundation in Amsterdam, July 2014. EDITED BY Diana Hillesheim Georgia Taperell Tara Lasrado Shannon d’Avout EDITION 500 DESIGN COUP, Amsterdam www.coup.nl

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PRODUCTION Booxs www.booxs.nl

Manifesta Foundation Herengracht 474 1017 CA Amsterdam The Netherlands Tel. + 31 (0) 20 672 1435 (office) http://www.manifesta.org The activities of the Manifesta Foundation are generously supported by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) of the European Union and by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the Netherlands.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction by theDirector Hedwig Fijen Aims and Objectives Manifesta at Home The Permanent Team of Manifesta in 2013 The Board Grants and Institutional Support

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Activities carried out in 2013 1. Development of Manifesta 10, Jubilee Edition of the European Biennial of Contemporary Art, Hosted by the State Hermitage Museum St. Petersburg, Russian Federation 2. Manifesta Foundation â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Opening of Herengracht Office, kunstkantoor 3. Host Candidacy: Future Hosts of the Manifesta Biennial 4. Manifesta Journal 5. Manifesta Coffee Break 2013 6. Manifesta Archive 7. Communication 8. Education, Audience Development and External Relations 9. Manifesta and the Future: Strategic Goals and Objectives

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INTRODUCTION

The International Foundation Manifesta (Manifesta Foundation), based in Amsterdam, is the initiator and co-producer of the nomadic contemporary art biennial called Manifesta, which takes place every two years in a different location in Europe. Its daily tasks include the overall organization of all stages of development of the Manifesta Biennial, as well as the publication of catalogues, books and the series Manifesta Journal; the development of the Education Program; the maintenance of the Manifesta Archive and the organization of symposia and international cultural events such as the Manifesta 10 Coffee Break.

Manifesta was listed fourth in Artnet’s ranking of the world’s most influential biennials. Manifesta mobilizes people, ambitions, dreams and knowledge in order to create new artistic practices and networks that aid the realization of its activities. The main project of Manifesta, the European Biennial of Contemporary Art, is an attempt to critically reflect on the cultural DNA of a changing Europe every two years.

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Manifesta was born out of a historical moment that shifted the geo-political plates that reunited Europe. Its origin is based on addressing the dis-balance in between East and West Europe after the fall of the Wall at the end of the 1980s. The “Cold War” era created a gap within Europe which held wider political implications globally. It created scepticism, suspicion, and for others, curiosity. Since its launch in the early 1990s, MANIFESTA has aspired to provide a dynamic platform that would support a growing network of visual arts professionals throughout the region, contributing to the advancement and enhancement of cultural dialogue within Europe. In 2012 the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation was selected by the Board of Manifesta Foundation as the host of Manifesta 10, 2014 because of its critical intellectual and historical relationship with East and West Europe. The social and art historical context in which this edition would be embedded and the audience related educational projects were fitting with Manifesta Foundation’s ambition for the tenth edition to return to its origins as a pan-European event. In addition the State Hermitage Museum would celebrate its 250th anniversary to coincide with this jubilee. In 2013 we faced many challenges around the organization of Manifesta 10. Since announcing the State Hermitage Museum as host institution, the Russian parliament adopted a federal law banning the propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships accessible to minors. The legislation received extensive exposure around the world and subsequently there were calls to boycott, cancel or relocate international cultural and social events planned within Russia, Manifesta 10 included. What was clear for Manifesta was that progressive, contemporary culture in Russia was, and still is, contested and, as ideas continue to be exchanged across borders, Manifesta believed it was vital to play an active role in this dialogue. Manifesta was initiated as a discursive, adaptable artistic entity in response to the new social, cultural and political realities that emerged in the aftermath of the Cold War. Manifesta 10 will investigate these 25 years of changing realities and experiences as they have transformed within this new global world order. The Board of the Manifesta Foundation prides itself on following the Code Cultural Governance as formulated by the Dutch Ministry of Culture to ensure appropriate and transparent governance.

Manifesta tries to define, through all of its projects, the actual status of the constantly-changing European cultural landscape by contextualizing the geopolitical issues that determine its dynamics. By initiating both ephemeral and long-term projects, and developing on-going workshops for research and experimentation, Manifesta wishes to stimulate and help strengthen the development of a sustainable cultural infrastructure at the locations and venues where the Biennial takes place. It positions its Host Cities/Regions in relation to the map of international contemporary art, and enriches their profile as creative centers of contemporary culture. By mobilizing the local community, investing in human capital, and involving individual artists and artistic communities from diverse backgrounds, Manifesta activates an expanding network of international contacts, while providing opportunities and further understanding of contemporary art practices. It is with great pleasure that we present to you the activities of the Manifesta Foundation in 2013.

Aims and Objectives

Hedwig Fijen Manifesta Director

MANIFESTA AT HOME

The Manifesta team structure is based on a policy of sustainability, a sense of invention, and an ongoing spirit of enthusiastic collaboration. Manifesta realizes a dynamic synergy of local expertise that draws upon both international and Dutch knowledge and experience. With each edition of Manifesta, the curators conceptualize a new artistic context for a biennial, becoming the Foundation’s artistic partners. Given the complex organization of such a large-scale enterprise that takes place in a different European Host City or Region every two years, the permanent team of Manifesta is a broadly-based, flexible group of international experts who constantly focus on re-launching, elaborating and fine-tuning the biennial and its associated Manifesta events. The survival and growth of

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The aims of Manifesta, the European Biennial of Contemporary Art are: — To investigate the changing DNA of European culture in all of its aspects; — To organize a professional, well-equipped biennial of contemporary art every two years at a different location in Europe or in its immediate neighboring countries, in collaboration with local partners; — To facilitate artistic exchange between all professional groups and parties, especially those which have limited access to the art market and to established institutions; — To respond to a commonly perceived need by initiating new projects and new forms of artistic practice, to experiment with new curatorial methods and develop new audiences for contemporary art; — To produce and diffuse the Manifesta Network Program, including Manifesta Journal, Manifesta Coffee Break and Manifesta publications and discussions; — To act as a catalyst for new artistic and organisational practices in the region, and brand the region as a cultural know how hub; — To develop short- and long-term sustainable effects in the cultural infra-structure of the region; — To act as a research and knowledge centre for the production of newly-commissioned works;

Manifesta’s organizational model is due to the knowledge of its staff and its department heads, together with the innovative and prudent implementation of project management. Openness towards policy, a facility for adaptation, the desire to transfer knowledge, and a continuous stream of activity in which the exhibitions play an essential role, are manifestations of this fundamental core.

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THE PERMANENT TEAM OF MANIFESTA IN 2013

Manifesta Foundation explicitly and conscientiously follows the Netherlands Code of Cultural Governance for best practices.

Based in its headquarters in Amsterdam, the permanent team of the Manifesta Foundation is the backbone of our multi-faceted organization. While our business is the governance and production of roving biennials, the dayto-day activities of Manifesta also include overseeing the publication of catalogues, books and the Manifesta Journal; maintaining and managing our increasingly rich archives; and staging symposiums, international cultural events and the Manifesta Coffee Breaks. The curator of each edition of Manifesta is solely responsible for the artistic concept and practices therein. The permanent team of Manifesta is responsible for the logistics, organization, finances and legislative aspects of the biennial. The staff is composed of a project team, which consists of a director and several key managers who are experienced specialists, and who have already worked on previous Manifesta Biennials. They are responsible for the overall development of each department within Manifesta. This permanent team has been vested with the task of creating a sustainable flow of knowledge and information from one biennial to another. The Manifesta team is known for its high level of achievement and its commitment to obtaining quality results under complex circumstances. Hedwig Fijen Manifesta Director Peter Paul Kainrath Business Consultant Yoeri Meessen (until February 2013), Sepake Angiama Head of Education Terry Harding Head of Communication and Marketing Diana Hillesheim Liaison Officer Georgia Taperell External Relations Coordinator and Office Manager Managing Editor Manifesta Journal David Smeulders Audience Coordinator George König Financial Controller Melissa Ratliff Grants Coordinator Yvonique Wellen (until September 2013), Tara Lasrado Office Assistant Marjolijn Sluiter Bookkeeping Assistant Mazars Accounting Firm Rowan de Graaf Systems Operator Jero van Nieuwkoop, Jussi Koitela, Laura Toots Interns

The Foundation and the Board

The Board of the Manifesta Foundation operates as a governing body and its members maintain control over the Foundation and its assets. One or several Board members also participate(s) in sub-committees that monitor various activities of the Foundation, such as the Curatorial Selection Process, the Manifesta Coffee Breaks and/or the Host Selection Process. The Board meetings take place in the Manifesta Host City or Region, and in Amsterdam. Manifesta’s Board gathers together high-profile representatives of the international art world as well as Dutch specialists in the fields of management, law and finance in order to guarantee a constant flow of up-todate, expert knowledge in Manifesta’s organization. The composition of the Board changes on a rotational basis every two years (membership minimum of three years, maximum six years). The Manifesta Foundation holds four international board meetings per annum. In 2013 the Foundation held four board meetings and two sub-committee meetings.

During the Board meetings the Board defines the longterm strategy of the Manifesta Foundation as well as of its short-term objectives. The Board operates as a governing body. The Board of the Manifesta Foundation prides itself on following the Code Cultural Governance as formulated by the Dutch Ministry of Culture to ensure appropriate and transparent governance.

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In 2013 Board was composed of: Viktor Misiano (Chair) Independent Curator and Chief Editor Moscow Art Magazine, Curator Manifesta 1 Paul Domela (Treasurer) Independent Curator and Consultant Andreas Hapkemeyer (Secretary-General) Art Historian, Former Director of Museion, Bolzano & Former General Coordinator Manifesta 7 Raqs Media Collective (Member) Artists and media practitioners Esther Regueira Mauriz (Member) Independent Curator / Art Critic Former General Coordinator Manifesta 8 Gijs van Tuijl (Member) Former Director Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam Former Director Kunstmuseum, Wolfsburg Jota Castro (Member) Artist and Curator Pieter van Welzen (Member) Solicitor Clifford Chance LLP Allard Huizing Lawyer at Greenberg Traurig

GRANTS AND INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

Until the end of 2013 the Manifesta Foundation was awarded the title of Ambassador of European Culture by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) of the European Union. Manifesta Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fundraising activities include corporate sponsorship, a private benefaction campaign and grants from an extensive portfolio of national and international funding bodies. The fundraising activities cover the operational funding of the Manifesta Foundation as well as projectbased funding initiatives relating to the development and delivery of the Manifesta Biennials, and our diverse international projects including symposia, publications and exhibitions. Manifesta Foundation aims to develop long-term sustainable relationships with coorporate and private funders. In 2013 the Manifesta Marketing, Communications and Fundraising department implemented a new multi-annual strategy with the view of creating a stronger and more secure funding structure. The strategy aims to compensate for the termination of the EU funding under the Ambassadorship scheme at the end of 2013.

The strategy was designed to establish a longer-term financial base for the organization and incorporates three primary areas of fundraising: international foundations and trusts, private giving campaigns and funding bodies specific to artist projects. According to the strategy, trusts and foundations provide the core funding for MANIFESTA, ensuring organizational resourcing throughout M10 and M11, and over the long term. The new private giving campaign aims to identify potential private donors within the networks and contacts established through the twenty-year history of Manifesta. They will then form the core of a tiered support structure.

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Cultural funding bodies are targeted to provide project support for specific M10 projects. The grant department worked on matching projects and funding goals with relevant cultural funding bodies.

ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT IN 2013

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1. Manifesta 10 DEVELOPMENT â&#x20AC;&#x201D; SET UP of Manifesta 10, the Jubilee Edition

of the European Biennial of Contemporary Art, hosted by the State Hermitage Museum St. Petersburg, Russian Federation In 2013, after an in-depth selection process, the Director and the Board of Manifesta found in the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg the ideal host for the tenth edition of Manifesta 10, which opens on the 28th of June 2014 and runs 135 days until the 31st of October 2014. The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg will host Manifesta 10 the same year that the museum will celebrate its 250th anniversary. The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg was selected by the Board of Manifesta Foundation because of its critical intellectual and historical relationship with East and West

The General Staff Building

Europe: a uniting principle that is also central to Manifesta, as the single roving European biennial of contemporary art. Manifesta 10 will consider the historical perspective of St. Petersburg’s view of the West, and its relationship with Europe at large. Other venues in the city will also participate as part of the extensive public program of events. The year 2014 will mark the twentieth anniversary of Manifesta, which was initiated in response to the new social, cultural and political reality that emerged in the aftermath of the Cold War. This Jubilee year event will analyze the changing realities and experiences as they transformed within this new global world order since 1989.

Manifesta 10 Chief Curator: Kasper König In 2013 the Berlin-based Kasper König was selected as the Chief Curator of Manifesta 10. König is one of the most iconic figures in the contemporary art world. His experience spans a generation, as does his know-how, his professionalism, and his close relationships with international artists.

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One of the oldest and most prestigious museums in the world, the State Hermitage Museum, was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great as her personal art collection. It has been open to the public since 1852. In 2014 the museum will have existed for 250 years. The newly-renovated General Staff Building which has been dedicated to modern and contemporary art will be fully open in 2014 and will be the main location for Manifesta 10.

From left to right: Manifesta Director Hedwig Fijen, Hermitage Director Prof. Dr. Mikhail Piotrovsky and Kasper König signing the Curatorial contract of Manifesta 10, St. Petersburg

With the appointment of König as Chief Curator, Manifesta has departed from an expectation of always appointing upcoming curators, and at the same time it deviates from Manifesta’s “tradition” of engaging collective curatorial models. The choice of an experienced museum curator who has an indepth knowledge of museum collections and how to work with them, along with a reputation of excellence in both the public sphere and an academic context, was deliberate. The development of Manifesta 10 involved an extensive research phase for Kasper König, but also for the entire organization.

Manifesta 10 Team

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Throughout 2013 the Manifesta Foundation Director and its team spent extensive periods in St. Petersburg setting up the office space of the new Foundation Manifesta 10. The Manifesta 10 team includes both international and local staff

members. The new team was gradually set up over the course of the year, including the following departments which are essential to each edition of the Biennial: Production, Education, Audience Development, Finance, Marketing and Communication, Publi-cations and Curatorial. The new Manifesta 10 team benefited immensely from the experience of several key staff members who have worked on previous editions of the Biennial. The curatorial team also undertook international research trips in order to develop their exhibition concept.

Manifesta Director Hedwig Fijen and Board Member Esther Regueira inspect the new wing of the State Hermitage Museum: The General Staff Building

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The team of Manifesta 10 in 2013

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Manifesta Foundation Office Herengracht, Amsterdam

2. Manifesta Foundation: New Office

Visitors in the Manifesta Office during the exhibition of Chambres des Canaux

Since May 2013 Manifesta Foundation has been housed in an historical Herengracht canal house, extraordinary premises that have been provided to us under special conditions. In order to make our unique office space accessible to the public and to engage with the Amsterdam artistic and gallery world we have started an ongoing series of exhibitions. The series is produced in collaboration with our neighbours, DutchCulture. As part of an ongoing series of in-house exhibitions each half year a different Amsterdam based contemporary art gallery is invited to curate a site specific show specially made to reflect the history of the building and the place. The exhibitions are a starting point for public meetings, discussions and receptions. Through this program we would like to show our appreciation and support towards the Amsterdam art scene.

The Office Building on the Herengracht was part of the Exhibition “Chambres des Canaux: The Tolerant Home” in November 2013, in which twenty iconic Amsterdam canalside properties were transformed into exhibition spaces, hosting the crème de la crème of the contemporary international art scene. In the rooms of the Manifesta Foundation works by Julika Rudelius and Jan Rothuizen were exhibited. During Amsterdam Art Weekend, which took place on the first weekend of December 2013, Manifesta collaborated with “Capital A” and organized a brunch for all participants in the Amsterdam Art Scene and all our contacts combined with a press presentation from our curator. In the evening we organized a networking drinks event where all participating gallerists from Amsterdam could visit the Manifesta exhibition and socialize. This increased Manifesta’s network and connections within the city in which our office is located.

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In 2013 we have kicked off with the exhibition by tegenboschvan vreden gallery called “Rooms with a View”. Participating artists were: Marie Aly, Sander Breure & Witte van Hulzen, Aníbal López, Chaim van Luit, Cristina Lucas, Tatiana Macedo, Marc Oosting, Anna Ostoya, Emma van der Put, Sanne Rous, Fernando Sánchez Castillo, Dieuwke Spaans and Rinus Van de Velde. A second show, “It ain’t whatcha write, it’s the way atcha write it” is on at the Martin van Zomeren gallery until mid-November 2014. Participating Artists are: Edith Dekyndt, Martijn Hendriks, Alexandra Leykauf, Fiona Mackay, Katja Mater, Jean-Baptiste Maitre, Navid Nuur, Nick Oberthaler, Cornelius Quabeck and Anne de Vries. We hope by our presence in the city of Amsterdam as a meeting space and as a small exhibition hub will strengthen our relationships with all Amsterdam based artists, critics and institutions.

Presentation of Manifesta for Candidate Cities in SmĂĽland, December 2013

3. Host Candidacy: Future Hosts of the Manifesta Biennial

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Any European city, region, island or multiple-city candidate can apply to host an edition of Manifesta. Hosts are appointed after careful research, following a solid process of consultation, site visits and research which is carried out by members of the Board and the Manifesta staff, all of whom are senior arts professionals from different countries and cultural backgrounds. Each Manifesta edition is mutually organized by the Manifesta Foundation and the Host partner. The Manifesta Foundation stipulates the timing and the form of the announcement of the new Host. Any city or region that expresses an interest in hosting a Manifesta Biennial is invited to send a Letter of Intent to the IFM in which the relevant governmental authorities (municipal, regional or national level) indicate their commitment to host Manifesta under specific logistic and financial conditions. The International Foundation Manifesta then starts to research the pre-candidates and plans site visits by the Director and members of the Board. During these visits, Manifesta is presented to the local stakeholders, and the conditions and terms for hosting an edition of Manifesta are explained and adjusted where necessary. This ensures equal opportunities for applicants from various countries. Every Manifesta Biennial strives to guarantee new and innovative models for its artistic practices and curatorial structure. This process is repeated every two years. A new procedure for the selection of the Host cities was initiated by the director in 2012, in order to create a more

secure and sustainable future for Manifesta. This procedure was executed in 2013. In keeping with this new structure the Host cities are selected further in advance than the customary two years. Therefore the Host for Manifesta 11 (2016) was selected in April 2013 and the Host for Manifesta 12 (2018) will be selected in June 2014. The in-depth candidacy procedure for the selection of the Host cities for Manifesta 11 and 12 started in the beginning of 2013. A subcommittee of the Board and a timeline of decisionmaking processes were established in order to investigate future editions of Manifesta. Several reconnaissance visits by the director and board members to Manifesta Host candidate Cities / Regions to assist with the development of formal Bids for Manifesta 11 and 12 were carried out in 2013, including visits to Dublin, Zurich, Tallinn, Copenhagen, Småland and Palermo. In 2013 the execution of this strategy secured the mediumterm future of Manifesta by selecting Zurich, Switzerland as the Host City for Manifesta 11 in 2016 and hence income from Host transfer fees. The prospects for the longer term were also strengthened as a result of the work with Host candidate cities / regions throughout the year. Manifesta Director and Board Members undertook the following reconnaissance visits to potential candidate Host Cities / Regions in 2013:

The Manifesta Director, Hedwig Fijen, made numerous research trips to potential Manifesta 12 host cities and held discussions with interested parties, including politicians and representatives of potential partner institutions.

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Belfast / Derry, Northern Ireland 18–19 March 2013 Tallinn, Estonia 10–12 October 2013 Palermo, Italy 11–13 November 2013 Småland, Sweden 11–13 December 2013 Zurich, Switzerland 13–16 March 2013 24–25 March 2013 21–22 May 2013 1–2 July 2013 19–20 July 2013 24–25 October 2013 The Manifesta board selected the Host City for Manifesta 11 (2016) during the April 2013 board meeting. Zurich was selected as Host City on the strength of the bid concept that explored the urban environment of Zurich and marked the 100-year anniversary of Dada by focusing on performance. The Manifesta 11 Biennial will occupy diverse locations throughout the city of Zurich.

4. MANIFESTA JOURNAL Founded in 2003, Manifesta Journal (MJ) is an international journal that focuses on the practices and theories of contemporary curating. The format of MJ, like the Manifesta biennial, is a flexible and mobile model. It aims to be both self-reflexive and critical towards international curating and biennials in general. Every six editions, a new editorial team from diverse areas of Europe and beyond is invited to develop a different concept for the series, and to reflect on contemporary Europe and the world. The third series of MJ, (launched in December 2011) is available in an entirely new format: a print-on-demand version, and a free online version. The print-on-demand version can be ordered via Lulu.com, which is the most popular independent international publishing service. Throughout 2013, the current Manifesta Journal Series 3 was available free of charge on the website: www.manifestajournal.org. MJ was also distributed in nine bookshops: three in Amsterdam (The Netherlands), two in Berlin (Germany), two in the United Kingdom, one in Switzerland and one in Brussels (Belgium).

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The current MJ editorial team wishes to reflect upon current practices of reading, researching, publishing and curating that have been enabled by the internet and its social technologies, while exploring new formats and advocating the open circulation of knowledge through a free online and downloadable Manifesta Journal. Most of the MJ texts have now been licensed through Creative Commons. Each of these publications contains work from approximately twenty contributors and is roughly 100 pages in length. In 2013 the MJ#17 entitled “Future(s) of Cohabitation” was produced and released. For the 17th issue of Manifesta Journal, Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez (MJ Chief Editor) and Virginie Bobin (MJ Associate Editor) were joined by Bisi Silva as the MJ#17 Guest Editor. “Future(s) of Cohabitation,” MJ#17 attempted to look beyond geographical boundaries, administrative borders and fixed identities. The MJ#17 called upon international artists, curators and thinkers to investigate the state of “in-between” from a trans-historical and trans-geographical point of view. It emphasized hyphenation, critically assessing the legacy of the concept of “hybridity”, its contemporary relevance in the field of arts and humanities, and in society at large. Every two months, a blogger-in-residence is invited to share his/her research in progress: reflections on, assessments of, and reactions to a specific subject. In 2013, Natasha Ginwala (IND / NL), Clarke House Initiative: Zasha Colah and Sumesh Sharma (IND), and Doreen Mende (DE) each undertook an MJ Online Residency. On the 8–9th of November 2013, Manifesta Journal co-hosted a two-day symposium in collaboration with the Zurich Univer-

Manifesta Journal and catalogue for sale at Unseen Book Fair, Amsterdam.

sity for the Arts (ZHdK) OnCurating, and Migros Museum entitled, “Third, Fourth and Fifth Spaces: Symposium on Curatorial Practices” (CH). The symposium addressed current practices of reading, researching, publishing, and curating that have been enabled by the internet and its social technologies; all the while exploring new formats and advocating the open circulation of knowledge. Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez (MJ Chief Editor), Virginie Bobin (MJ Associate Editor) and Sepake Angiama (Manifesta Head of Education) each presented work as part of the program, in addition to more than a dozen speakers. The event was held at ZHdK in Zurich. Manifesta Journal took part in the following international book fairs and symposiums in 2013: Facing Pages, Arnhem (NL) Hillside Terrace (JP) Giant Step Symposium (South Italian Foundation — Vessel) Cineporto (IT) Santarcangelo Festival (Festival Internazionale del Teatro in Piazza), Rimini (IT) Unseen Book Fair (NL) Dublin Art Book Fair (IR) Frieze Book Fair (UK) Manifesta 2013 Report — 19

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5. MANIFESTA COFFEE BREAK St. Petersburg, 6 - 8 December, 2013

In the lead up to Manifesta 10, the tenth edition of the European Biennial of Contemporary Art, the education department of Manifesta 10 held one of its bi-annual “Coffee Break” meetings in St. Petersburg. The event brought together fiftyfive emerging and established members of the contemporary art community from across Estonia and Finland, along with peers from Moscow and St. Petersburg. The sessions focused on laying the foundations for a collaborative future. This research and networking event fulfilled Manifesta’s ongoing intention to explore ideas and issues that are pertinent to the areas in which it holds its Biennial, keeping in mind the foundational philosophy of investigating the borderlines of Europe, and fostering inter-European relationships. The invited speakers Viktor Misiano (Russia), Paul Domela

Viktor Misiano during the discussion at the Manifesta 10 Coffeebreak

(the Netherlands), Rhiannon Pickles (United Kingdom) and Christoph Schenker (Switzerland), chose four practical topics to address collaboration. The topics of discussion were, “How can space be re-imagined?”, “What role does public relations play in mediating a biennial in a contested area?”, “How should public art commissioning in cities proceed?”.

Taking the case of Manifesta 10 as a departure point for a wider-ranging examination of the social, civic, political, and ethical issues facing specific European regions today, the investigation outlined in this plan will be guided by the individual contexts and contemporary art lenses of the project’s partners, who are based in different European countries, and concentrated in the Nordic and Baltic regions.

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Among the priorities that emerged from the sessions was the need to build more bridges across the Nordic and Baltic regions, and to take a considered look at the broader cultural landscape in relation to current political issues. The meeting, which was designed to inform the ideas and dialogues surrounding the 2014 edition of the Biennial, provided the starting point for a longer-term research project that Manifesta would like to carry out together with partnerships built from such originating discussions. “How is visual culture shaped by the current political landscape on a regional, national, and international level?”, “What can artistic research bring to urgent and political issues facing contemporary society, and can it have an impact in the larger sphere of policy making?”

Research at the Manifesta Foundation Archive

6. Manifesta Archive

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The Manifesta Archive aims to create a memory for the projects carried out by Manifesta and to facilitate research in the field of contemporary art. It is also used as an information tool for the people who organize Manifesta in the Host Cities as well as for the professionals involved with the various and new Manifesta projects for the first time. The Manifesta Archive is constantly growing thanks to Manifestaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s publications exchange program with artists, curators, art galleries, art institutions, museums and the international media. The Manifesta Archive aims to be a comprehensive specialized archive of biennial publications from around the world. It is accessible to international visitors and researchers.

7. Communication Manifesta, the European Biennial of Contemporary Art, is the only art event that relocates every two years from one European city to another. The nomadic, peripheral character of the Manifesta biennial implies that each biennial period needs a different approach towards the communication strategy on a local, regional and national level. This is specifically adopted for each host event. Although Manifesta is well known to its core audience and its brand and objectives are clearly defined, each new edition requires its own communications framework, strategic objectives and audience targets. The Manifesta brand should be protected, reinforced and communicated in a specific format. Each edition adopts specific communication and marketing aims and defines objectives that are specifically identified through market research and collaboration with host venues / institutions and cities. Communication plays an essential role in the success of the Manifesta Biennial, as it does in all other Manifesta projects. Manifesta stimulates dialogue, supplies resources and creates opportunities to experience the very best in contemporary art by making effective use of different methods of communication set up to inform the audience of local, national and international levels. In 2013, International Foundation Manifesta (IFM) aimed at further strengthening its communication and marketing activities in order to create awareness on both a national and international level about its projects, as well as to pursue new partnerships and expand its network.

Audience development and the acquisition of new audiences for contemporary art are among the main aims of Manifestaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities. In this regard the Communications and Marketing Department works in close collaboration with the Education Department in order to reach a range of possible audiences and provide them with a specific, tailor-made products and/or activities. By means of these educational programs and specificallytargeted actions, Manifesta 10 aims to: Reach a new, differentiated public (broader and more diverse), and involve this audience in the program of activities; Approach target groups

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In 2013 Manifesta Communications and Marketing efforts aimed to ensure the promotion of Manifesta 10 in 2014 and the activities of the Foundation such as Manifesta Journal and Manifesta Coffee Break in all analogue and digital media in Europe, and worldwide in writing and in speech. The target was to enhance awareness of the existence of Manifesta as the European Biennial in a global setting. A pro-active social media strategy was created and implemented to 18,000 followers in social media. The Manifesta 10 communications team includes Terry Harding, our Head of Communications; Marina Bachurova, who handles the Russian press; Rhiannon Pickles, who works on the International press; and Kathrin Luz, who takes care of the German-speaking part of the communications department.

who are not familiar with contemporary art but are interested in historical heritage and the architecture of the Hermitage complex; Attract a range of specialized, professional members of the public; Include young students, from elementary to high school, introducing them to the language and the basic concepts of contemporary art; Create a foundational relationship with new and old audiences. In former editions of Manifesta, the following audience development actions were successfully implemented: Guided tours; Courses on art mediation at local university; Presentations and lectures at local schools, universities and art academies; Special programs including visits to the exhibition and workshops; Guided tours for special target groups (seniors, exworkers of refurbished industrial buildings that host exhibitions, etc.); Workshops and discussions for teenagers; Group visits to performances and seminars; Workshops for students (such as “create an art work”) and children (furniture building, clothes making, object construction, et cetera); Public discussion about works in situ; Symposia organized in collaboration with international art academie; Digital video and audio content made available on the website; Family days / Manifesta days. Outlets of the communication department include our monthly newsletter which has 22,376 subscriptions. Our e-flux mailout reaches up to 90,000 visual arts professionals. For this we use our database which consists of 27,040 contacts. Other outlets to promote the project Manifesta 10 are our website: www.manifesta10.org, and printed and postallydistributed Save The Date cards in an edition of 50,000.

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Results: These communication plans and actions strengthen the brand and visibility of Manifesta. They also stimulate interest in the activities of Manifesta amongst diverse international arts audiences and laymen. They also serve to encourage press coverage. The communication plan further enables MANIFESTA to expand its vast international network and establish new partnerships. Building brand awareness and significantly increasing the audience for the State Hermitage Museum’s contemporary art programs, with a focus on increased recognition of the General Staff Building, are the primary intention of the 2013–2014 program. It introduces Manifesta’s audience, including contemporary arts professionals, press and cultural tourists to St. Petersburg as a destination, and provides them with a new perspective on the contemporary program of the State Hermitage Museum. MANIFESTA seeks to maintain its reputation of being a top-level institute. Manifesta 10 thus aims to be the most innovative contemporary art event in Europe and Russia, presenting work of the highest quality. The excellence of Manifesta 10’s artistic program is ensured by our partnership with the prestigious State Hermitage Museum and by appointment of one of Europe’s most-celebrated curators. Education and public programs will introduce a new generation to contemporary art along with ideas that inform artists who are living and working today. The tenth edition will also concentrate on contextualizing the collection and introducing especially Russian visitors to recent contemporary art practice and elements of twentieth century modernism. An expanded marketing presence and various promotional initiatives with the City will introduce the Hermitage’s new

galleries to both citizens and foreign visitors. A broadly based and targeted local, regional, national and international public relations campaign will significantly expand awareness of St. Petersburg as a destination for art and contemporary culture.

MANIFESTA IN THE PRESS In 2013, there were 273 pieces on Manifesta in the press worldwide, of which 196 were Russian and 77 were international. Reporters for the website “artguide.ru” interviewed six independent experts on why MANIFESTA 10 should take place in Russia — despite characteristic restrictions on freedom of speech and self-expression and the local ban on so-called “gay propaganda”. Teresa Mavica, Art Director of Victoria Art Foundation–The Art of Being Contemporary: “Manifesta might serve as a constructive provocation of the propagandized ‘autarkic’ context, or it might be subsumed by it, as unfortunately often happens with projects in Russia. I believe that a European biennale could undermine Russia’s cultural isolation and encourage a change in the country’s problematic relationship with contemporary culture and its incorrect understanding of it, which is the product, first and foremost, of a lack of information.” Nikolai Molok, Development Director at the Stella Art Foundation: “... it’s logical that Manifesta has finally arrived in Russia.” Olesya Turkina, Curator, Senior Research Fellow at the Department for Contemporary Art at the State Russian Museum: We might say that Petersburg is one big laboratory. For “Manifesta, the most important thing has always been the experimental character of its art. The fact that Manifesta is taking place in the Hermitage is also an experiment, though a much more radical one than previous editions in mines and factories.” Samuel Herzog wrote in the NZZ on Zurich’s bid for Manifesta 11, on the 28th of February, 2013, “Manifesta is one of the most ambitious and exciting events in the arts sector — even though it often provokes controversy.”

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At the beginning of 2013, the Manifesta Facebook page had 17,675 followers, which increased to 28,113 by the end of 2013. The Manifesta website (www.manifesta.org) had 155,919 visitors of which 39,550 were new visitors in 2013. The Manifesta Journal website (www.manifestajournal.org) had 37,647 visitors of which 23,850 were new visitors in 2013.

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8. Education, Audience Development and External Relations in 2013 The Manifesta Foundation highlights education as a core value of the organization because we believe in the power of education to change and transform our world. It is a core belief because we have seen how education not only shifts the perception of the public towards contemporary art but also shifts our perspective of how we see each other, our societies and ourselves. After seven years of developing and building the education and mediation programs for Manifesta, Yoeri Meessen left the organization in February 2013. The Foundation is thankful for the hard work that Yoeri has done in establishing Manifesta at the forefront of experimentation in the field of mediation. In June 2013, Sepake Angiama (United Kingdom) took on the

Manifesta Head of Education Sepake Angiama on New Holland Island in St. Petersburg

position of Head of Education and will continue to lead the overall education, audience development and mediation strategies. The Education Program for International Foundation Manifesta continues its remarkable achievement of attracting new audiences to contemporary art whilst widening and deepening the experience for those who are more familiar with our work. In 2013 more than 2,500 people participated in our activities in universities and schools in Europe and in Russia.

MANIFESTA 10 On Board brings together three hundred artists, students, and arts professionals on an overnight ferry trip from Helsinki to St. Petersburg on October 7th–8th, 2014, to engage in a dynamic dialogue about the context in which Manifesta 10 is presented and the issues related to its controversial presentation in Russia in 2014. The On Board program offers a socio-cultural context for viewers to examine the Manifesta 10 Biennial by examining and discussing the meaning of censorship / self-censorship.

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The pre-biennial program began in September 2013, when over 200 people attended the Student Day at the State Hermitage Museum. The program developed an integrated approach to programming, bringing together the work of the Manifesta Foundation, Amsterdam, Manifesta Journal and Manifesta Biennial. The Education team also developed the M10 Coffee Break, addressing the question “How can we build a collective future?”, with international partners from Estonia, Russia and Finland. The M10 Coffee Break laid the foundation for an investigation into how inter-regional relationships may be forged for the future. As a result some of the participants have continued their relationship with St. Petersburg, through the partnership of creating projects for the Parallel Programme. Our partners are the Center for Contemporary Art Estonia, Office of Contemporary Art, Norway, and FRAME, who will continue to work with us for MANIFESTA 10 On Board.

Cultural delegation from Estonia, Coffee Break 2013

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Within the City of St. Petersburg we have developed new programs, including Art Laboratory, which introduces contemporary artists in schools; and Manifesta Dialogues, which invites artists, curators and arts professionals to talk about their work in universities. In partnership with Smolny Institute and the generous support of the Calvert Foundation, we have translated the first Manifesta Reader. It includes a short selection of articles from the Manifesta Journal, edited by Viktor Misiano and Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez. It will be launched at the end of 2014. In 2013 we were also in the midst of preparations for the 2014 education program, which would introduce a new strand to the Biennial, the Manifesta 10 Summer School, in partnership with the St. Petersburg State University and the Zurich University of the Arts. Led by the curator, experimental film-maker and writer Maria Godovannaya and exhibiting artists Thomas Hirshhorn, Alexandra Pirici, Kristina Norman and Rimini Protocol, the school is entitled “Please Mine the Gap: Between Artistic Enquiry and the Engagement of Space”. It will investigate the research strategies employed by artists in creating work within the city of St. Petersburg. We look forward to continuing sustainable relationships with our university partners as we head into to the preparations for Zurich in 2016.

Manifesta Lectures and Presentations MARCH 2013 Basel, Culture and the Economy (CH) APRIL 2013 Cologne, Art Cologne Talk “Holland in Distress?! (On the situation of the art scene in the Netherlands)”, (DE) JULY 2013 Hong Kong, Manifesta Journal at Parasite (CN)

August 2013 St. Petersburg, Press Conference Manifesta 10 (NL) September 2013 Moscow, Conference “The Dutch Art Assembly — How do we want to be curated?” (RU) Munster, Symposium “Building better cities”, with Stadt Munster and ISG (DE) Amsterdam, Unseen Bookmarket (NL) Amsterdam, Open Monumentendag (NL) Amsterdam, Opening of Kunst Kantoor Manifesta office (NL) London, Curating Contemporary Art MA Programme (UK) October 2013 The Hague, Debate “’De kracht van kunst in tijden van crisis” at Volkspaleis (NL) Amsterdam, Guided tours Manifesta Foundation Office (NL) St. Petersburg, Student Day Hermitage (RU) Tallinn, Promotion Estonia (EE)

December 2013 Amsterdam, Brunch and Press Event (NL) St. Petersburg, Manifesta Dialogues, Lectorium State Hermitage Museum I, with Dimitry Ozerkov & Kasper König (RU) St. Petersburg, Coffee Break Symposium with workshop (RU) St. Petersburg, Manifesta Dialogues, Lectorium State Hermitage Museum II: Cultural Project of the Year – the Manifesta 10 Biennial, with Esther Regueira and Dimitry Ozerkov and representatives of the city of St. Petersburg Vasily Kichedzhi, Vasisly Pankratov (RU)

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November 2013 Zurich, Manifesta Journal “ Third Forth and Fifth spaces” symposium at Migros Museum (CH) Amsterdam, Amsterdam Art Weekend / Capital A (NL) St. Petersburg, Manifesta Dialogues Pro Arte, with Paul Domela & Elena Kolovskaya (RU) St. Petersburg, Manifesta Dialogues Smolny Institute (RU), with Viktor Misiano: 8 arguments in favor of the Biennial and 8 1/2 against (RU)

9. Manifesta and the Future: Strategic Goals and Objectives

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Besides the successful execution of its activities in 2013, the Manifesta Foundation safeguarded the continuation of the following key strategic elements: — Building long-term relations between cultural producers and audiences and the international Manifesta network; — Building long-term relations between the academic world and the international Manifesta network; — Maintenance and improvement of a support structure for all ambassadors in Europe (Arts Professionals and Institutions, Host Cities and Regions, Board Members, Curatorial Teams, Local Organizers, Museum Professionals and Artists); — Exploring ways for the Manifesta Foundation to forge long-lasting links with emerging territories in Europe, for more than just the duration of the Manifesta Biennial; — Increasing and intensifying Manifesta’s European network as a medium for person-to-person contacts; — Stimulating the flow of information between all parties involved in Manifesta, as well as encouraging new audiences through different activities (such as the Manifesta Journal publications and launches, the Manifesta Coffee Breaks and the Manifesta Education Program); — Ensuring that ongoing working contacts are maintained between previous, current and future editions of Manifesta, including consistent efforts to maintain and strengthen the contacts within the network; — Efficient use of existing knowledge and archives by means of information and communication technology, to ensure that efficient use is made of the information and skills accumulated in previous editions of Manifesta; — Create sustainable funding avenues and corporate partners; — Set up a development department to focus on building a community of Trustees, Benefactors and Private Donors.

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