What is Manifesta
Manifesta, the European Nomadic Biennial, changes location every two years. Founded in the early 1990s, Manifesta rethinks the relation between culture and civic society, investigating and instigating positive social change through contemporary culture in response to, and in close dialogue with, the social sphere of the Host City and its communities.
Manifesta has consistently chosen unexpected host locations that reflect Europe’s ever-changing DNA to shed light on a world defined by changing ethical and aesthetic imperatives. Manifesta, as a recurring event, has transformed itself into a multi-layered and inclusive instrument of civic engagement projects.
Manifesta 15 will take place in Barcelona in 2024. Manifesta 15 seeks to explore alternative models of how to democratise cultural institutions and decentralise contemporary culture in Catalonia. In Barcelona, Manifesta’s participatory process will create an experimental platform and a laboratory for a new form of cultural institutionalism including a variety of new voices.
“Manifesta will be a great field of research, experimentation and action, also tying in the creative network, institutions and the citizens. A process from which to broaden rights to access and participate in culture without discrimination based on origin, general or class.” – Ada Colau, Former Mayor of Barcelona, 2015 - 2023.
Previous Editions
Rotterdam (1996), Luxembourg (1998), Ljubljana (2000), Frankfurt (2002), San Sebastian (2004), Nicosia (2006 – cancelled), Trentino-South Tyrol (2008), Murcia in dialogue with North Africa (2010), Genk (2012), St. Petersburg (2014), Zürich (2016), Palermo (2018), Marseille (2020), Prishtina (2022)
Upcoming Edition
Ruhr Area, Germany (2026)