The European Biennial of Contemporary Art
Candidacy & Selection
Host city/region selection
Manifesta is the roving European Biennial of Contemporary art changing locations every two years. European cities or regions who are interested in hosting Manifesta are invited send an expression of interest to the Manifesta Foundation at the offices in Amsterdam.
The European cities or regions hosting successive editions of Manifesta are selected by the board of the Manifesta Foundation and its Director, according to a sequence of flexible criteria, including social, political and geographical factors, financial considerations, infrastructure and institutional stability, expert personnel and, of course, the general artistic and intellectual context. New hosts are appointed after up to three years of careful study, following a solid process of consultation, site visits and research, carried out by members of the Board and Manifesta staff, all of whom are senior art professionals from different countries and cultural backgrounds. Any European city, region, island or multiple- city candidate can apply to host an edition of Manifesta. Each Manifesta edition is mutually organized by the Manifesta Foundation and diverse local bodies, creating a new model of synergy for each consecutive biennial.
The board of the Manifesta Foundation, will request potential candidates to submit a bid which includes:
- A cultural profile of the city/region and its immediate surroundings
- A preliminary list of possible locations/venues
- A preliminary development of concept as to why Manifesta should take place in this city/region
- An overview of possible factors affecting the development of the project
- A statement by the prospective Host indicating their commitment towards the specific financial and logistic conditions set by the Manifesta*
The deadlines for the application process for Manifesta 10 to be held in 2014 are as follows:
- 30-04-2011 Deadline submissions Letter of Intent
- 30-10-2011 Deadline submissions Final Bid
- 21-12-2011 Decision
Please contact us for more detailed information on the requirements for a bid
Curatorial selection
Besides Manifesta’s inherent dynamic of change based on its geopolitical itinerant model, Manifesta also aims to experiment with innovative curatorial models and methodologies. In moving from one region to another, it seeks to respond to challenges posed by new locations and renovated working structures, and to encourage invited curators and artists to develop innovative work and models for the display and production of contemporary art, while strengthening the links between their artistic practice and the socio political landscape.
For each Manifesta Edition a specific brief is developed by the board of the Manifesta Foundation, which defines the curatorial model as well as the selection procedure.
* The Manifesta Foundation reserves the right to formulate specific and tailor-made conditions for extraordinary occasions, in order to ensure a variety of participating countries/regions/cities in the broadest European geographical sense, furthermore each Manifesta Biennial strives to ensure new and innovative models for its artistic practices and curatorial structure.
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