Manifesta, Art, Society and Politics: Creating a New Europe Through Contemporary Art

This is the first monograph fully dedicated to critically investigating the political, economic, artistic, urban, and societal relationships of Manifesta - European Biennial of Contemporary Art, a European nomadic biennial initiated in the post-Cold War era. Despite being one of the most important recurrent exhibitions taking place in Europe, surprisingly little has been written about it since the mid-2000s, Manifesta, Art, Society and Politicsprovides a deeply-researched and engaging analysis of the the critically overlooked Manifesta exhibitions, as well as it’s changing goals and discourse since the first edition in 1996.

The book is split into four parts, divided by theme and following the exhibitions chronologically. Providing a comprehensive overview of one of the most important biennials in Europe, Manifesta, Art, Society and Politics investigates the relationship between large-scale art exhibitions, culture-led regeneration, and urban transformation. It is essential reading for students and researches of exhibition and curatorial studies, art history, and cultural studies.

Erdem Çolak is an artist and a lecturer in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Middle East Technical University, Turkey.