In 2010 Manifesta 8 will take place in Murcia (Spain) in dialogue with northern Africa. Manifesta is entering a new phase, shifting from its previous East-West dialogue to focus on North-South notions, even looking at trans-continental representation. What is expected from Manifesta as it expands further from its former geo-political European context? In what way can Manifesta 8 change the spectrum of a biennial and its practices for artists and curators alike? What is the ongoing relevance of the European nature of Manifesta as a biennial and in which ways can Manifesta transgress its focus on the post-Communist notion of Europe into a new time-frame partly characterised by post-colonial politics?

The next Manifesta Coffee Break, which takes place on 12 and 13 December 2009 in Murcia, brings together both local and international artists, curators, theorists, writers and other art professionals to reflect on Manifesta’s presence in the Spanish cities of Murcia and Cartagena and its positioning as a biennial in search of
a dialogue with northern Africa. It is open for
all who are interested, and consists of sessions by the three curatorial teams of Manifesta 8 together with invited speakers and guests. Manifesta 8 is curated by three collectives – Alexandria Contemporary Arts Forum (Egypt), Chamber of Public Secrets (Denmark,
Italy, Lebanon) and tranzit.org (Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia).

For more information and bookings for the Coffee Break in Murcia, contact: saskiavanderkroef@manifesta.org

December 12, 10.00-13.30
Chamber of Public Secrets (CPS): Unfaithful Relations: Art, Engagement and Audience within the Biennial Model. With: Sara Black, Alfredo Cramerotti, Christine Eyene, Rian Lozano, Fay Nicolson and Khaled Ramadan.

December 12, 16.00-19.30
Alexandria Contemporary Arts Forum (ACAF): The Aesthetic Compass: Human Geography and its Reverberations in Art. With: Jeremy Beaudry, Sherif El Azma, Bassam El Baroni, Nida Ghouse and Yaiza Hernandez Velazquez.

December 13, 10.00-13.30
tranzit.org: Post-Communist, as well as Post-Colonial. With: Zbynek Baladran, Erick Beltran, Vit Havranek, Dora Hegyi, Richard Kostelanetz, Boris Ondreicka and Georg Schollhammer.