++++ The Manifesta 4 Project is attempting to develop itself further without pursuing a pre-set topic for its activities. We have been trying to approach as many individuals as possible on our trips, in very different contexts and situations. Manifesta 4 will be constructed from that diverse mapping in a complex process and in close collaboration with all the people involved.
Three distinct vectors are intended to articulate Manifesta 4. The artists, the mediating curators and the City of Frankfurt are reinforcing and supporting each other in order to create a dialogue, a flux among each other stressing the diverse individual realities and the way people work together and confront different situations. Manifesta 4 is interested in the articulation of non-similarities and subjectivities, rather than in neutralizing them.
Manifesta 4 is also interested in the ways art is confronted by other contemporary cultural practices intertwined with social and political issues in very different territories. Instead of dealing with binary oppositions (interior/exterior, exclusion/inclusion) or stressing national identities, our project tries to establish a more rhizomatic structure which can relate one project to another, one group to another and both to the physical place. We are working on a structure located at that transitory moment when a certain practice displaces itself from one territory to another.

As a trajectory through the city of Frankfurt, the Manifesta 4 Project will reveal the contradictions of the present, the different ways artists are rethinking the classical relation between time and space in the experience of urbanity, dwelling, mobility, travel, exile, language, conversation and translation, endurance, memory and history without forgetting irony and a sense of good, trespassing humour.
The topography of the exhibition suggests a movement between such points as Frankensteiner Hof, the Frankfurter Kunstverein, the public spaces around the Schirn Kunsthalle, Portikus, the Städel Museum, the Städelschule, and also the banks of the River Main, subway stations in the heart of the city. Apart from situating itself amongst the physical realities of the city, Manifesta 4 is present through broadcasting by the Hessische Rundfunk (radio and tv), Radio X, Offener Kanal Frankfurt/Offenbach. The online identity of Manifesta 4, at www.manifesta.de and www.e-manifesta.org, co-exists with individual online projects.

Frankensteiner Hof (Große Ritter Gasse)

Abandoned several years ago, the former office building for city services is being transformed into one of the main venues of Manifesta 4. Its architectural features include a diversity of spaces like professional workshop halls, canteen and offices as well as space for testing purposes.
This one for example is being formed by Massimo Bartolini as a multi-media site-specific work. The Frankfurt-based group, Finger, is presenting its project ”evolutionäre zellen – self-initiated design of social perspectives” on the staircase of the building, Monika Sosnowska is reconstructing one of the rooms and Sancho Silva incorporates his Bunker in another one. Around twenty projects will find a place in Frankensteiner Hof.
Apart from widely diverse display purposes, Frankensteiner Hof serves as a meeting point for Manifesta 4, including projects on- and off-line presentations, discussions and video programs, all suggested, activated and maintained by artists.

Frankfurter Kunstverein
The Frankfurter Kunstverein has been a defining force in Frankfurt’s cultural life for the last 150 years. The oldest Kunstverein in Germany (founded 1829) – it is one of the main venues for discussing contemporary art practices in the city. The “travelling artist”, Christoph Fink, visualizes his trajectory through the City of Frankfurt in a display here. Bleda and Rosa are showing a series of photos based on the foundations of the city of Frankfurt. Olivier Bardin, Pia Rönicke, Jeanne Faust are presenting their work among others at this venue. During Manifesta 4 it will not only host an important part of the international exhibition, but will function as a research laboratory.
An important element of Manifesta 4 is the public access to information which usually remains backstage. Around 700 artists’ files collected during the curatorial research are open for visitors and at the same time create the basis of Mathieu Merciers art project. Additionally the library of recent publications and documentation from various countries together with the guest project on independent publishers organized by the Frankfurt-based publishing house Revolver will be available for the public throughout the duration of Manifesta 4.

Schirn Kunsthalle Public Space
Just opposite the Kunstverein - located on one of the historically central squares of Frankfurt, close to an archaeological site and the city administration - the Schirn Kunsthalle is providing various public spaces for Manifesta 4. The platform – called Tisch – next to the main building, for instance, will be used by the founder of The Construction & Deconstruction Institute Ioan Godeanu for his participation.


Portikus

The prominent Kunsthalle Portikus is identified by the remains of the original portal to the former city library and is today the exhibition venue of the Städel School. Its usable space (approx. 100 m²) traditionally suits solo and small-scale group shows. Manifesta 4 will situate installations and objects by Hans Schabus and Gerard Byrne along with other artists in search of a dialogue among them.


Städelsches Kunstinstitut

Manifesta 4 has established close collaboration with the Städel Art Institute. A video landscape, an innovative simultaneous presentation of video works along with a collection of objects by Revolution on Request occupy the new wing of the museum building, which presents one of the best known classical and modern art collections in Germany.


The poster project by Lise Harlev unites some of the institutional venues of Manifesta 4 and is present in the entrance spaces of Frankfurter Kunstverein, Portikus and Städel.


Staatliche Hochschule für Bildende Künste, Städelschule

In co-operation with the renowned art school Städelschule, the series of Manifesta 4 lectures have been held here since the beginning of 2002. A week-long summer camp is being prepared for July 2002.
(see details below)

Special collaboration
Two of the local artists’ groups offer further supplementary activities to Manifesta 4. They are rraum02 in Darmstädter Landstraße and finger in Alte Mainzer Gasse that hosts a project by Luke Fowler.

In collaboration with the Institute for Cultural Anthropology and European Ethnology, selected locations in the urban space will be marked with background information on history, social development and current affairs. In this way, they will be brought closer to visitors to the exhibition.
While visiting Manifesta 4 and following its trajectories on both banks of the River Main, the viewer will be able to encounter the urban diversity of Frankfurt and the various layers of cultural and other activities in the city.


Public Space

Projects in the urban domain supplement the various exhibition venues at various points of the city’s topography. In doing so the established art institutions in Frankfurt are involved on an equal footing with the not-so-established and independent venues and public spaces.

Several projects are in preparation to be realized in public space. The works of Marc Bijl, Andreja Kuluncic, Laura Stasiulyte and the Institute for Cultural Anthropology and European Ethnology are among them.


Banks of the River Main

In recent times several planning initiatives have focused on rediscovering the river banks as suitable places for leisure activities. Manifesta 4 is taking a step toward the river with the projects of Jasper van den Brink, Antal Lakner and Gianni Motti.


Subway Stations

The infoscreens in the public transportation system will be used for various types of art projects such as short videos (Takehito Koganezawa and Jon Mikel Euba) and announcements such as the one by Luchezar Boyadjiev I need U for Manifesta 4.


hr 2 radio
A collaboration with Hessischer Rundfunk as the media partner of Manifesta 4 will provide space for artistic contributions and art-related information, such as individualized audio portraits of the participants in Manifesta 4. A public discussion panel is planned for the opening days of Manifesta 4.


hr tv
The public tv station Hessischer Rundfunk will provide air time for broadcasting a series of video programs that includes works by Davide Grassi, Pia Greschner, Lyudmila Gorlova, Liga Marcinkevica, Olivier Nottellet, Ivan Moudov, Erzen Shkololli, Artur Zmijewski and many others.

Radio X
The independent radio station Radio X and Manifesta 4 will work together on specific programs with artists presented in the city during the event.

Offener Kanal Offenbach / Frankfurt (Public Access TV)
The channel is watched by many households with cable access in the Rhine-Main Region and is open and waiting for suggestions from the artists and the general public visiting Manifesta 4.

The web site
An inseparable part of Manifesta 4 are the on-line activities. The information web site, designed by the Berlin based group e27 (www.manifesta.de) and which includes useful background resources such as contact information, funding sources and bibliographies, will extend the standard format of exhibitions´ presence to the web. The participants are invited to play an active role in shaping and designing information about their work on-line. With the aim of presenting the wider context of Manifesta 4, the materials in the artists’ archive will be uploaded as well.
Another web site, www.e-manifesta.org, initiated by Daniel Garcia Andujar as an open discussion forum, will respond to the need for free and unedited communication. The e-manifesta forum is a new strategy that concentrates on personalized communication using mailing lists, portal chat and independent contributions. It will provide a wide range of links to artistic web sites and important international events, not only in the field of art. It will address social and political problems in which many people are involved nowadays. Some of the projects included in Manifesta 4 exist in an on-line form such as WWW.0100101110101101.ORG and www.absolute-sale.com.

Manifesta Lectures at Städelschule

Starting in February 2002 a lecture program has been established to create a reverse movement of communication. While the research phase of Manifesta 4 focused on on-site visits to various European countries, the lecture program in Frankfurt introduces theorists, curators and mediators who will contribute their respective local artistic context to the public here.

Lecturers in this program are:
Branislav Dimitrijevic, Belgrade
Hedwig Saxenhuber, Vienna
Lionel Bovier, Lausanne
Franck Larcade, Bilbao
Dagmar Demming, Oslo
Katy Deepwell, London
João Fernandes, Porto
Erden Kosova, Istanbul
Gianni Romano, Milan
Suzana Milevska, Skopje / London

The lecture series will find its continuation with a weekly series of project presentations and discussions in Frankensteiner Hof.


Gasthaus / Manifesta Camp

The strong interest of art students in Manifesta 4 is being catered for with a special initiative of the Städel School in co-operation with art schools throughout Europe.
A week-long camp is being organized for the end of July 2002 in order to deepen theoretical reflection about the exhibition and to intensify the dialogue among European art students. There will be a special emphasis on talks by artists and facilities for artistic production on location.


Trainee Program (RAVE Grants)

A trainee program for professional colleagues from transforming and developing countries has been established in collaboration with IFA (Institute for Foreign Relations) in Stuttgart. Three recipients of the RAVE Grant have been given the opportunity of joining the team of Manifesta 4 from March 2002 to June 2002. The grantees will be able to actively participate in exhibition planning and realization in project management and in maintaining the exhibition. They will add their expertise gained in other cultural contexts to the preparations of Manifesta 4.


The grantees are: Maria Vassileva, Sofia, Denis Romanovski, Minsk, Florian Agalliu, Tirana



AICA Round-Tables

The international association of art critics AICA will hold two panel discussions about current issues in Frankfurt on the weekend of the opening.


Art communication

Apart from the daily introductions to the exhibition, special programs will also be on offer by special arrangement and on special themes.
Thus, for instance, each Saturday there will be a focus on Art in Public Space in collaboration with the Institute for Cultural Anthropology and European Ethnology.

The Guide
Publisher Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern – Ruit
Design Pronto, Berlin

With information on the artists participating, a map of the tour with the city topology, a general program and the most essential practical information for a visit to Manifesta 4 in Frankfurt/Main.

Languages German / English
Publication date 24 May 2002


The Catalogue
Publisher Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern – Ruit
Design Pronto, Berlin

The catalogue publication follows the general idea of Manifesta 4 regarding the transparency and processes of the project. It includes introductory texts by the International Foundation Manifesta, a general overview of the project, interviews with curators, texts by guest authors, personalized presentations by the participants, rich illustrative material that aids understanding of the context of artists’ activities, as well as basic data.
The design of the catalogue leaves space for additional and updated information to be included in the publication at later stages of the project.

Languages German / English (separate editions)
Publication date 24 May 2002

Views of the installations of the completed works will be provided as a supplement on 9 July.


Additional Publications
The program of publications of Manifesta 4 includes artists’ projects, newspapers, leaflets and books.


Art kaleidoscope
On the occasion of Manifesta 4, there will be a special issue with portraits of all the artists participating.