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Manifesta 13 Marseille – Traits d’union.s

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In 2020, Manifesta, the European Nomadic Biennial, will take place in Marseille and France’s Région Sud. Its first edition in France, Manifesta will work with an interdisciplinary team of curators, to integrate a series of artistic projects into the social, cultural, and political fabric of the hosting region and to create a sustainable implementation of Manifesta 13 Marseille. The biennial aims to develop long-lasting connections and creative collaborations between a local and international network of professionals, cultural producers, associations and institutions.

Curatorial Tea: The curatorial team is composed by Alya Sebti, director of Berlin’s ifa gallery; Katerina Chuchalina, chief curator at the V-A-C Foundation in both Moscow and Venice; and Stefan Kalmár, director of the ICA in London.

Title and Concept: Marseille is characterised by endless transit. It is a continuous site of arrival and departure, providing space for escape and sanctuary. At the same time, Marseille epitomises resistance and has always offered unique moments of productive tension. Titled Traits d’union.s, Manifesta 13 asks: ‘How can we not only co-exist, but actually come together and create new ties of solidarity?’ The curatorial team has taken into consideration the specificities of Marseille to create a curatorial concept that “connects local debates with those happening elsewhere. Through a deep engagement with the conditions of change and exchange, Manifesta 13 will add voices to the tense and inspiring narratives already existing within Marseille.” More on this edition’s concept can be accessed here.

Venues: Among several other institutions yet to be announced, Manifesta 13 will work closely with seven of Marseille’s most prominent institutions: Musée Cantini, Centre de la Vieille Charité, Musée Grobet-Labadié, Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle, Musée des Beaux- Arts, Musée d’Histoire de Marseille and Conservatoire National à Rayonnement Régional de Marseille. While recognising that the current discourse around museums is shifting in order for institutions to become more inclusive, diverse and to create coexistence, the decision to work with a range of venues in Marseille, including many of the leading museums, aims to create stages on which narratives will be told, where plots will be unravelled and where new alliances will be formed.