Manifesta 11 in Zurich. A Collective Art Experiment

In Zurich, the Manifesta - the European Biennial of Contemporary Art - tried out a new concept for its 11th edition: What happens if an entire city becomes the experimental space for an art exhibition?

Is an art biennial able to influence the public's perception of art in urban space and reach the art crowd as well as the passing audience? Is it possible to generate a broad interest in art through urban interventions? Will critical questions regarding the correlation of art and work arise and challenge the practices of the art scene?

The book "Manifesta 11 in Zürich" documents the collective art experiment Manifesta 11, which took over the city of Zurich in the summer of 2016, and acts as a collection of memories. For the first time the European biennial not only offered a platform to established artists and institutions but served as a melting pot and unconventional meeting point for art professionals and the public alike by enabling inspiring encounters through creating informal venues.

"Manifesta 11 in Zürich" contains first impressions and observations documenting the urban intervention. The photographs by Andreas Seibert are accompanied by insightful essays, interviews and analyses – written amongst others by author Tadeusz Dabrowski.

"This book invites you to enjoy wandering round the Zurich 2016 art summer once again, to let it unfold once more before your minds eye. The book is filled with memories, with not only grand gestures but also minor occurences of the Zurich 2016 art summer." Corine Mauch, Mayor of Zurich

Andreas Seibert's statement:
"The choice of camera influences the photographic view and therefore the type of picture you take using it. For the work on this book I wanted to have a modestly more relaxed view, to shift it slightly. I photograph exclusively using analogue cameras and therefore set out to surprise myself. For this reason I photographed the presence of Manifesta 11 in Zurich's city life using a smartphone."

Edited by Stadt Zürich Kultur
Design: Atelier Landolt/Pfister
Lars Müller Publishers, 2016
Book, 16,5 x 24 cm, 6 ½ x 9 ½ in, 224 pages, paperback
ISBN 978-3-03778-515-7, German/English
€25.00