Manifesta 12 in Palermo

The City of Palermo, Italy is the host city of Manifesta 12 in 2018. Manifesta 12 - the European Nomadic Biennial - opens on 16 June 2018 and runs until 4 November 2018. In total, the biennial will consist of more than 30 newly commissioned works, public installations, performances, and urban interventions and will take place in more than 15 iconic venues in Palermo.

Manifesta 12 takes the theme: “The Planetary Garden. Cultivating Coexistence”, the concept explores coexistence in a world moved by invisible networks, transnational private interests, algorithmic intelligence and ever-increasing inequalities through the unique lens of Palermo – a crossroads of three continents in the heart of the Mediterranean. Closely collaborating with Palermitan partners, Manifesta 12 will co-inhabit Palermo as a laboratory to investigate the challenges of our time and look for traces of possible futures.

Manifesta 12 has unveiled the first 10 participants included in the programme and 5 of the locations throughout the city.

Manifesta 12 Tours with Gardeners

To dig deeper into the biennial topics, visitors can join a guided tour with one of the Manifesta 12 Gardeners and explore the main sections of The Planetary Garden: Garden of Flows, Out of Control Room, and City on Stage. The Gardener accompanies the group and proposes collective discussions on an individual selection of works corresponding with the section you have chosen.

Similar to botanical gardeners, Manifesta 12 Gardeners are caretakers, cultivating the coexistence of visitors’ opinions around the event. Having witnessed the growth of the Manifesta 12 Palermo projects, they share their knowledge as well as inquire about the experiences of the audience. Together with the groups, they discuss the visible, the invisible, and our role and responsibility as human beings in an ever-transforming world.

Manifesta is the European Nomadic Biennial, held in a different host city every two years. It is a major international art event, attracting visitors from all over the world. Manifesta is the go-to place for discovering emerging artists, thought-provoking ideas, new artworks especially commissioned for the event, and creative experiences in dialogue with spectacular locations of each host city.