Kompromat Blog Katja Sokolova

11 trains, 4 towns and 3 days

Manifesta 7 Professional preview , July 17-19

Instead of a political hot spot, the one and only European nomadic biennial takes place in a tourist paradise of Trentino/South Tyrol this time. Many Dutch people went there to escape from the rain at home...

Manifesta 7 posters look very much in place at Bolzano train station. - Katja Sokolova

Met: International Foundation Manifesta

People waiting for Manifesta shuttle bus. In vain. - Buses in South Tyrol are much less reliable than trains. Katja Sokolova

Manifesta founder and director Hedwig Fijen is happy that it's finally happening. - Hedwig slept less than 4 hours the night before. -Actually we have 4 biennials opening these days, in 4 different cities along a 130 km long line. Katja Sokolova

Met: International Foundation Manifesta, Hedwig Fijen

Van Abbe museum director Charles Esche is watching the videos very attentively. - Concentration requires a lot of courage with the extreme heat and the lack of air in the former Post and Communication building in Rovereto.

Met: Charles Esche, Van Abbemuseum, International Foundation Manifesta

Even for Dutch artist Praneet Soi it feels too warm today. - In spite of the fact that he spends half of his time in India nowadays.

Met: Praneet Soi

Yara Bubnova - Co-curator of Manifesta 4 and Moscow biennial 1. Yara was born in Moscow and speak better Russian than the Russians themselves. She seems very skeptical about Manifesta 7...

Met: International Foundation Manifesta

Manifesta's Saskia van der Kroef with Kai van Hasselt from Shinsekai Analysis. - Since her student times, Saskia has been a faithful Manifesta employee. Kai is helping architects with their projects abroad, especially in Japan. He doesn't dare to go to Russia yet, but we assured him he should try it one day.

Met: International Foundation Manifesta

Fleur van Muiswinkel is a nice girl with red hair. - That's why we took this picture of her. Fleur used to work for W139 in Amsterdam; she lives in Norway now. Fleur likes skiing in spite of breaking her bodyparts while doing it occasionally.

Met: W139

At the Trento opening party, all alcohol was finished after 45 min. - They can drink, those professionals...

Suzanne van de Ven is an international art professional. - (if (oh-oh, what a term. Kompromat spends too much time on LinkedIn lately.) Just off her train from Berlin, Suzanne is taken hostage of by Manifesta girls.

Met: Suzanne van de Ven, International Foundation Manifesta

Another member of the Fijen clan- Hedwig's sister Brigitta Fijen -

Met: Hedwig Fijen, International Foundation Manifesta

Some more Dutch faces in Trento. - Annet Mullink, managing director of Montevideo and Toos Arends, contemporary art curator in Fries museum in Leeuwarden. (L)Annette Mullink, Montevideo's business director and ex Mondriaan foundation and (M) Toos Arends, curator of contemporary art at the Fries museum in Leeuwarden.

Met: Fries Museum, Nederlands Instituut Mediakunst

Curator Angela Serino feels at home at Trentino. - However, she decided to stay in Amsterdam after finishing the Curatorial programme at De Appel.

Met: De Appel

Fleurie Kloostra is looking for Flemish connections everywhere. - Brakke Grond's exhibition programmer As exhibition programmer of Flemish Cultural Centre Brakke Grond in Amsterdam, she needs to stay in touch with her colleagues from Flanders.

Met: Vlaams Cultuurhuis De Brakke Grond

De Appel director Ann Demeester (r)- the Flemish lady of Amsterdam. -

Met: Ann Demeester, De Appel

We have no idea who this lady is. - But we saw her everywhere and we thought her outfit was kind of cool.

The opening of Fortezza - another Manifesta 7 location. - At 10:30 a.m. it's already crowded outside.

Met: International Foundation Manifesta

Eastern Europeans speak very fast. - Curator from Gdansk explains to the audience why the next Manifesta should take place in her city. The Italian translator is trying to catch up with her talk.

Met: International Foundation Manifesta

Enjoy the silence. - Inside the fortress, there isn't a soul.

Met: International Foundation Manifesta

One of the few people we met in Fortezza corridors this morning is Mauruzio Bortolotti. - Curator and writer for the Domus magazine.

Met:

Manifesta crowds in front of Museion - the brand new contemporary art museum in Bolzano. - It was opened in May, 2008. Such a big museum for such a small place.

Met: International Foundation Manifesta

Succesful young curator Krist Gruythuysen is explaining Manifesta 7 concept with great enthusiasm. - Especially the exhibition in Rovereto, where he worked as curatorial advisor for Adam Budak.

Met: Krist Gruijthuijsen, International Foundation Manifesta,

Party at Ex-Alumix factory. - The watertower covered with graffiti by Polish M-City collective, looks like a nuclear mushroom in the dark. Katja Sokolova

Met: Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam

Italian youth enjoying Manifesta beats. - Katja Sokolova

Met: International Foundation Manifesta

Artist Richard Wright and production assistant Marianna Liosi definitely like each other - Richard is a good artist.- Marianna tells Kompromat.- He's not been a pain in the ass like many other artists. Finally we know how to distinguish a good artist from a bad one. Katja Sokolova

Met: Richard Wright, International Foundation Manifesta,

Paul Keller seems jealous of his girlfriend Sara Kolster. - Have you sent any secret messages with your pigeons lately? Do you have Something to hide? Katja Sokolova

Met: Paul Keller, Sara Kolster

Martine van Kampen en Theo Tegelaers from SKOR are enjoying the party. - Katja Sokolova

Met: SKOR, Theo Tegelaers, skor medewerkers