lucru e destul de adeværat øi în cazul Manifesta, care s-a transformat, de-a lungul istoriei sale, într-un eveniment foarte titrat, care poate consacra carierele multor artiøti, deøi nu aceasta era intenflia ei iniflialæ. Ea voia sæ fie mai degrabæ alternativæ, într-un anumit fel, øi mult mai cu picioarele pe pæmînt, dar acum, din cauza proliferærii atîtor bienale, a început sæ ocupe o poziflie specificæ, faflæ de care eram foarte critici. Nu e neapærat o problemæ singularæ; multe bienale se confruntæ cu aceleaøi dificultæfli ca øi Manifesta. ¬ Care e træsætura Manifesta pe care o percepi ca fiind problematicæ? √ Ea funcflioneazæ pe mai multe nivele. Cea faflæ de care sînt foarte criticæ este aceastæ idee a unei „Bienale Europene de Artæ Contemporanæ“. Într-un fel, ea trimite la ideea unei „Europe lærgite“, care cred cæ e oarecum superficialæ. A lua, pur øi simplu, tot felul de fleacuri din toate colflurile Europei nu presupune un proces de interogare, øi aceasta e o problemæ, pentru cæ Uniunea Europeanæ însæøi e un concept foarte complex. De exemplu, unul dintre lucrurile general acceptate despre Manifesta e faptul cæ nu e un proiect despre reprezentæri naflionale. Însæ, în acelaøi timp, banii pentru Manifesta sau banii pentru participarea artiøtilor provin adesea de la organizaflii finanflatoare naflionale, ceea ce îfli afecteazæ inevitabil deciziile, într-un fel sau altul. Sînt convinsæ cæ acest lucru nu e adeværat în privinfla tuturor proiectelor, nu toate sînt realizate pentru cæ existæ fonduri prealocate destinate lor, dar flærile mai bogate se aflæ într-o poziflie mult mai avantajoasæ, cu siguranflæ. Cred cæ acest proces ar trebui sæ fie mai transparent, sæ fie interogat într-o mai mare mæsuræ øi pus în discuflie în special de cætre cei care lucreazæ în domeniu. ¬ Cred cæ ediflia care urmeazæ va fi o bunæ ocazie pentru Manifesta sæ se confrunte cu sine, întrucît poziflia ta este foarte criticæ încæ de la început. Care crezi cæ va fi reacflia Fundafliei Manifesta la critica ta? √ Aceasta e o problemæ prezentæ în multe instituflii culturale din Europa care doresc sæ urmeze o filosofie a deschiderii øi a spiritului critic. În realitate însæ, pentru cæ sînt influenflate de atîflia factori diferifli – cum ar fi locul unde se desfæøoaræ proiectul, realitatea politicæ a acelui loc, oraøul, interesul oraøului care comandæ acel proiect, interesul organizafliilor de unde vin banii øi aøa mai departe –, existæ întotdeauna o limitæ a posibilitæflii de a fi critic. Cred cæ, prin acest proiect, Manifesta are cu adeværat øansa de a se reinventa pe sine øi de a influenfla mult dinamica scenei artistice – presupunînd cæ noi, împreunæ cu cei implicafli, sîntem capabili sæ ne asumæm o mulflime de riscuri, sæ fim oneøti în privinfla propriilor noastre carenfle øi sæ încercæm sæ înflelegem mai profund spafliul unde lucræm. ¬ Vezi vreo conexiune cu structura bienalelor recente? Ai putea cita vreun exemplu pozitiv printre manifestærile existente? √ Cu siguranflæ. Nu doresc sæ desfiinflez sau sæ discreditez complet bienalele. De exemplu, multæ lume e foarte criticæ în privinfla Bienalei de la Veneflia. Într-un anume fel, aceasta e puflin cam conservatoare, dar, pe de altæ parte, bienala e foarte serioasæ, pentru cæ are o misiune precisæ. Bienala de la Veneflia înseamnæ cæ fiecare flaræ îi promoveazæ pe cei pe care-i consideræ cei mai buni øi mai noi producætori de artæ ai sæi, øi asta e tot, nu pretinde sæ fie mai mult de-atît. ¬ Astfel încît celorlalte [bienale] pe care le-ai dat exemplu le lipsea seriozitatea? √ Nu chiar seriozitatea. Dar pot sæ le reproøez lipsa de claritate în privinfla motivelor pentru care se întîmplæ una sau alta. Vreau sæ spun cæ asistæm peste tot la o explozie de mici bienale, totul se transformæ în circulaflie a lucrærilor øi în expunere, dar, în acelaøi timp, nu existæ un motiv întemeiat pentru ca aceste lucruri sæ se întîmple, decît cæ e vorba de turism artistic. Ceea ce are, în sine, o oarecare relevanflæ, dar eu, personal, sînt interesatæ de producflia culturalæ, nu de expunere. ¬ Care crezi cæ e esenfla producfliei culturale? Care e scopul sau poziflia sa în societate?
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√ It was based on the configuration of the teams. Since Manifesta often likes to work with multidisciplinary teams – with people from very different backgrounds – they were interested in the constellation that people would put together in relation to this specific site. My colleague, Florian Waldvogel, an independent curator from Frankfurt who was actually invited by Manifesta to put together a team, proceeded to invite Anton Vidokle, a Russian-American artist living in New York, and myself to start thinking about a proposal for this place. ¬ Let’s first turn to the proposal. How did the idea to propose a School came about? I find it to be an interesting coincidence that the Free International University by Joseph Beuys was presented at Documenta 6. It’s as if the sixth editions of these mass events bring about an interest in transforming themselves into something more process and education based. Did you relate to those examples that had happened in this field? Were you influenced by them in any way? √ The idea of the School – which was initially Florian’s idea – was very attractive to us because it has really combined all of our different interests. One of the major starting points was of course the increasingly problematic nature of these large scale-exhibitions, which are more and more becoming just another facet of the artmarket, and this is quite valid in the case of Manifesta, which has transformed over its history into a very high-profile event that can really enhance the careers of many of artists, although this wasn’t the original intention of it. It was much more about being somewhat alternative and being much more down to earth, but now, because of the proliferation of so many biennials, it has started to occupy a very specific position of which we were very critical. It’s not necessarily a unique problem; many biennials are faced with the same challenges as Manifesta. ¬ What is this character of Manifesta that you perceive as problematic? √ It functions on many different levels. The one I’m extremely critical of is this idea of a “European Biennial of Contemporary Art”. In some ways this touches on the idea of “enlarging Europe”, which I think is somewhat superficial. Simply taking knickknacks here and there from all around Europe does not allow for a process of questioning, and this is a problem, because the European Union itself is a very complicated concept. For example one of the things that is widely accepted about Manifesta is that it is not a project about national representation. But at the same time, the money for Manifesta or the money for the participation of the artists often comes from national funding bodies which inevitably affects your choices somehow. I’m sure that isn’t indiscriminately true for all the projects, not all of them are realized because there is pre-allocated funding for them, but richer countries are definitely in a more advantageous position. I think this process should be more transparent, further questioned, and challenged especially by the people working in the field. ¬ I think this upcoming edition will be a good occasion for Manifesta to confront itself, as your position is very critical from the outset. What do you think will be the reaction to your critique from the part of Manifesta Foundation? √ This is a problem that you would find with many cultural institutions in Europe that attempt to follow a philosophy of being extremely open and critical. But in reality, because of the fact that they are influenced by so many different factors – like where the project takes place, the political reality in that place, the city, the interest of that city that commissions that project, the interests of the organizations where the money comes from and so on – there is always a limit to how critical they can be. I think with this project Manifesta really has an opportunity to re-invent itself and affect a lot the dynamics of the art-scene – assuming that we, and the people involved, are able to take a lot of risks and to be honest about our own shortcomings and to try to have a deep understanding of the place where we are working.