[spectre] Press release no. 2: Manifesta

[Geert Lovink]

> From: <secretariat at manifesta.org>
> Date: 23 June 2006 5:12:32 PM
> To: <secretariat at manifesta.org>
> Subject: Press release no. 2: Manifesta
>  
>  Press Release no 2
> Amsterdam, 23 June 2006
>   
> For immediate Release:
>  
> Manifesta 6 curators now individually attacked by Nicosia officials
>
> Dear colleagues and friends,
>  
> International Foundation Manifesta (IFM) is deeply saddened by the 
> recent cancellation of Manifesta 6 by local officials in Nicosia, 
> Cyprus. We are also outraged by this blatant lack of respect for the 
> work of the more than 100 young artists and writers from all parts of 
> the world who were selected by the curators to take part in this 
> amazing project. International Foundation Manifesta categorically 
> rejects all attempts to censor or misuse culture to serve a specific 
> political agenda, and calls on cultural producers and institutions to 
> protest at this gross violation of freedom of expression and 
> political persecution of cultural producers. 
>  
> By definition, Manifesta, the European Biennial for Contemporary Art, 
> is a roving exhibition that seeks to create venues for art in European 
> countries that will lend their own, site-specific qualities to the 
> project, changing it each time it moves.  The goal of Manifesta is, 
> every two years, to explore the conditions of cultural production in a 
> different, and, therefore, challenging place, as well as to create a 
> new venue, where local artists and intellectuals can participate in a 
> shared European artistic discourse. Precisely for this reason, after a 
> long period of research and development both by the International 
> Foundation Manifesta and its Cypriot partners, Manifesta 6 came to be 
> located in Nicosia, Cyprus. 
>  
> Nicosia is a city divided into Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot 
> sectors, separated by the Green Line - a demilitarised zone maintained 
> by the UN. It was impossible to move from one sector of the city to 
> the other until a number of crossing points were opened in 
> 2003. Manifesta 6 in Nicosia and the surrounding region was intended 
> to serve as an index of change through the development of sustainable 
> relationships with the local and regional communities.  At the time 
> when planning was still in its early stages, the International 
> Foundation Manifesta drew up contracts with the host organisation, 
> Nicosia for Art Ltd. (NFA) -  a special legal entity set up by 
> representatives of the Municipality of Nicosia and the Cypriot 
> Ministry of Culture and Education to administer Manifesta 6 - 
> determining the scope of their responsibility to Manifesta 6, and 
> defining their role as the facilitators of the project in Nicosia, who 
> would provide the core organisation and assist the curators with the 
> choice of venues, on both sides of the  Green Line. Since the North 
> Turkish Republic of Cyprus and its government are not recognised under 
> international law, the Cypriot parties entrusted with organising 
> Manifesta 6 were drawn from the Greek-Cypriot authorities, though 
> every effort was made at the time to ensure that the IFM’s partners 
> would be willing, and able, to collaborate fully with their neighbours 
> to the North and enable Manifesta 6 to take place in both communities.
>  
> Sadly, now it is the very specifics of the Nicosia location, which 
> drew Manifesta 6 to Nicosia, that have been cited as a principal 
> reason for its cancellation.  Despite the early and explicit intention 
> of all parties to hold the exhibition on both sides of the Green Line, 
> in both the Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot sectors, the local 
> authorities in Nicosia have abruptly terminated the contracts of all 
> three curators, Mai Abu ElDahab, Anton Vidokle and  Florian Waldvogel, 
> and taken legal action against both the International Foundation 
> Manifesta and each of the curators individually, for sticking to their 
> intention to hold a part of the project on the Turkish-Cypriot side of 
> the city. Moreover, this legal action is aimed at preventing any part 
> of the project from being realised in any form, anywhere, at any 
> future date – thereby, effectively aiming to eradicate all the work 
> carried out on this project by all its numerous participants over the 
> last 18 months. For these reasons, the IFM maintains that Nicosia for 
> Art is in flagrant breach of its contractual obligations.
>
> The International Foundation Manifesta, as a non-profit organisation, 
> is entirely dependent on outside funding and has no resources of its 
> own. For this reason, it is in the process of setting up a legal 
> defence fund, to protect both itself and the curators from the 
> litigation of Nicosia for Art. Manifesta welcomes any and all support 
> in this time of crisis, and appreciates the efforts that have already 
> been made on its behalf.
> All enquiries or offers of support should, please, be directed to:
>  
> International Foundation Manifesta
> Amsterdam, the Netherlands
> e-mail: secretariat at manifesta.org
> Tel: +31 (0)20 672 1435
>  
> Please also note that a discussion of issues and opinions pertaining 
> to Manifesta 6 can now take place at the International Foundation 
> Manifesta’s website at: http://www.manifesta.org/forum/