04-11-2002
Team of Curators

International Foundation Manifesta presents its Network Programme and the curatorial team for Manifesta 5

The International Foundation Manifesta (IFM) is delighted to announce that the city of Donostia-San Sebastian in the Basque region of Spain has been chosen to be the host city for Manifesta 5.

Donostia-San Sebastian has been selected because of its dynamic historical and socio-political background, as well as its trans-regional importance. The city has developed an increasingly vibrant cultural identity through daring initiatives on the part of its independent artists, galleries and institutions. At the same time, the local art scene has shown a strong commitment to the International Foundation Manifesta as co-producers and organisers of the 5th Manifesta biennial edition.

The Basque region has a strong sense of cultural and political identity and a determination to develop coherent cultural policies. This attitude and its geographical position in Southern Europe makes Donostia-San Sebastian a perfect location for the 5th Manifesta. IFM's long-term strategic aim is to achieve a stronger degree of North - South balance in all aspects of its activities, including location, board members, curatorial teams and artistic representation.

On Monday 4 November 2002, the International Board of Manifesta will officially announce the next Manifesta 5 curatorial team: Massimiliano Gioni, writer and art critic for Flash Art based in Milan, Marta Kuzma, freelance curator, working on her PhD and currently based in London and Paula Toppila, curator at Frame in Helsinki. In contrast to former editions of Manifesta, the curatorial team will be spending more time based in Donostia-San Sebastian, in order to create close relationships with the local community.

The development and execution of the Manifesta 5 biennial programme and exhibition will be co-ordinated by Lourdes Fernandez and Jose Miguel Ayerza. The CICC, Centro International de Cultura Contemporanea will provide administrative support for Manifesta 5, and the production centre for Manifesta 5 will be based at Arteleku.

The International Foundation Manifesta is experimenting with new ways of developing its existing role as the central nucleus of an open network and as a platform for researching and developing new ideas and artistic relationships. In addition to its regular biennial exhibitions and projects, the IFM facilitates and develops closely related co-productions with various European partners.

These projects form the Network Programme 2002-2005:

-in collaboration with Igor Zabel from Ljubljana and Victor Misiano from Moscow, a 6-monthly journal will be published, documenting and inspiring lively debate on curatorial practices.

-Barbara Vander Linden, director of Roomade in Brussels, in co-operation with the Universities of Leuven and Amsterdam, is co-ordinating the research and production of a book which reflects on the complex and heterogeneous framework of the Manifesta exhibitions and publications in a broader sociological and art historical context.

-IFM and the Liverpool Biennial together organise a regular, yearly series of workshops called "Coffee and Tea Breaks" aimed at discussion, reflection and critical investigation of the contemporary social, political and artistic climate.

-AICA, the International Association of Art Critics in Paris is involved in creating a three-year conference program on various current practical and theoretical aspects of contemporary art production and debate. The IFM will in this context invite specialists from different fields to explore new topics.

-Basis Wien is developing a digital archive, including all artistic material collected from the four previous editions of Manifesta, which will then become part of an online resource centre or work station, which will be made accessible to the public through the IFM office in Amsterdam.

The Network Programme wants actively to create and develop an ongoing relationship between international art professionals through joint in-depth research on contemporary artistic and curatorial practices. In these and other ways, the IFM will seek to build on the strengths of its permanent structure, in the knowledge that it can only continue to survive and flourish through an organised and controlled process of organic change.

In July 2001 Hedwig Fijen was appointed Co-ordinator of the IFM Network Programme. Ms Fijen is a founding director of Manifesta and since 1997 has been head of International Foundation Manifesta as secretary general and executive director. Since 2000 she has been assisted by Marieke van Hal.