October 18–22, 2022
One week prior to the official closing of the 14th edition of Manifesta, the European Nomadic Biennial, on October 30, 2022, Prishtina will play host to the 9th General Assembly and Conference of the International Biennial Association (IBA). This will provide members of the IBA and the general public with an exceptional opportunity to interact with Manifesta 14.
The innovative techniques and forms of collective storytelling as a means of commoning are at the heart of Manifesta 14 Prishtina. The biennial fuses the histories of local buildings in 25 locations with artistic interventions by 102 people. In order to reactivate and revitalize public space in Kosovo, through which Manifesta 14 also hopes to leave a lasting legacy, Manifesta has renovated an abandoned railway line, transformed a run-down library into a community and educational hub, and started the process of turning a vacant brick factory into a new cultural hub.
In order to realize that all knowledge is derived from positional views, Donna Haraway’s concept of situated knowledges will be revived for the 9th General Assembly of the International Biennial Association (IBA). The public conference will look at how the conventional biennial exhibitionary format might be expanded, discussing how modern biennials can be used as vehicles for social, cultural, and economic development with a focus on the local area.
Biennial practitioners from all over the world will exhibit alternative educational approaches that were developed in crisis situations (war, pandemic, climate change) or that made art and modern thought a core component of their curriculum. How can a biennial serve as a model for changing the educational system and a community? What role does culture play in a (post)conflict world? How should curriculum be designed to account for the diversity of people? What can we learn from artistic endeavors that blur the lines between teaching and creative expression?
Kosovo celebrates 14 years of independence this year. It is the youngest country in Europe with the youngest population, with almost half of its 2 million people under the age of 25. Evidently, education is a crucial subject.
Why participate and join us in Prishtina?
The International Biennial Association has evolved into a forum for ongoing discussion on the function of biennials in our communities thanks to the engagement, contributions, and participation of all of its members. Through a number of presentations, events, and conferences, IBA has addressed the ways in which the model grew and is still doing so while adjusting to the difficulties and fresh sensitivities in the arts and society at large.
IBA is first and foremost a community, and as such, its most valuable asset is the ability to get together and talk about how to support, counsel, and create collaborative structures for each of the organizations of its members. In the past ten years, IBA has created programs for biennial cooperation, served as a platform for advocacy for struggling biennials, and given biennials a place to display their initiatives while also creating a priceless record.
Programme
Tuesday, October 18
Arrivals
Welcome reception
Wednesday, October 19
18th board meeting
Mediated rours of Manifesta 14
Thursday, October 20
Welcoming words
Keynote
Focus groups
9th General Assembly
Friday, October 21
Public conference
Mediated tours of Manifesta 14
Saturday, October 22
Departures
For information and updates about Manifesta 14 Prishtina, please see: manifesta14.org.