Speculative Biennialism: The Manifesta and Infrastructures of Transformation

The documenta Institut invites to a lecture and conversation with Hedwig Fijen, the founding director of Manifesta. The event takes place within the seminar Speculative Urbanism: Art in the Context of Infrastructural Change at the University of Kassel.

Since its founding, Manifesta has presented itself as a nomadic European biennial that responds to political, social, and cultural upheavals at its host locations. In her lecture “Speculative Biennialism: The Manifesta and Infrastructures of Transformation”, Hedwig Fijen will discuss the origins and development of Manifesta, its curatorial strategies, and its relationship to infrastructure, urban development, and social change. A particular focus will be on the upcoming Manifesta 2026 in the Ruhr region. Hedwig Fijen will explore how biennials can function as instruments of urban transformation in post-industrial contexts: How do they affect regional infrastructures, narratives, and forms of participation? What traces do they leave in urban space? And to what extent can biennials be understood as “speculative modes of production” that reconfigure existing meanings and sites?

Following the approximately 30-minute lecture, there will be a conversation with Gwendolin Lehnerer and a short discussion with the audience, providing an opportunity to deepen the questions and exchange perspectives. This event offers students, professionals, and interested audiences the chance to experience firsthand the role of art, biennials, and urban transformation.

Date: Thursday, October 30, 2025
Time: 5 pm
Venue: Universitätsplatz 9, ASL 9, Room 0105