First activities take place for Manifesta 17 Coimbra x Anozero

Last week, international members of the Manifesta team and Supervisory Board joined the Anozero team in Coimbra for three days of introductory events, meetings and the first Expectation Workshops. The programme focused on introducing the research-based pre-biennial process, the development of an urban study and the participatory process that underpin each edition of the European Nomadic Biennial.

Invited by the Municipality of Coimbra and the University of Coimbra, Manifesta will develop a collaborative edition with Anozero, organised by Círculo de Artes Plásticas de Coimbra, opening in 2028. The edition will take as its departure points the urban, civic, cultural and ecological development of Rua da Sofia and Coimbra’s downtown area.

During the visit, Manifesta's delegation met with representatives from Coimbra’s cultural and artistic community, architectural experts and the Mayor of Coimbra, Ana Abrunhosa, and her team.

The programme also included the first Expectation Workshop with the University of Coimbra, bringing together perspectives from the arts, architecture, social sciences and economics to explore the city's history and future potential through an interdisciplinary approach.

These first activities mark a new stage in Manifesta’s research-based and participatory pre-biennial process, which will continue to develop with Coimbra’s institutions, practitioners, researchers and communities towards Manifesta 17 Coimbra x Anozero (title tbc) in 2028.