Manifesta, the itinerant European biennial of contemporary art, announced that it will hold its 2016 edition in Zürich.
Organizers explained what attracted them to Switzerland’s largest city in a news release:
“Zurich has a very long history of artistic and intellectual liberalism. It was historically an incubator for revolutionary political and artistic movements. During periods of historical upheaval in Europe, Zurich offered asylum to intellectuals from around the world. Today’s Zurich is one of the most economically and technologically advanced cities in the world. This rich and rapidly evolving urban setting will give Manifesta 11 the opportunity to explore critical global issues relating to the processes of urbanization, urban space and society while reassessing the role art can play in these.”
Hedwig Fijen, Manifesta’s director, praised the city for its proposal to host the biennial in a statement. “With full awareness that initiating a Manifesta Biennial involves unpredictable outcomes Zurich embraces the critical discourse including the opportunities and risks that it entails,” she said.
The next Manifesta, number 10, is set to open in 2014 at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.
