Hedwig Fijen Steps Down as Manifesta’s Founding Director
Hedwig Fijen, founding director of Manifesta, will step down on 5 October, the nomadic biennial has announced
left to right Hedwig Fijen. Photo: Charlotte Ernst. © Manifesta 16 Ruhr Area; Emilia van Lynden. Photo: Samira Kafala. © International Foundation Manifesta; Catherine Nichols. Photo: Atdhe Mulla. © Manifesta 14 Prishtina
Hedwig Fijen, founding director of Manifesta, will step down on 5 October, the nomadic biennial has announced.
Since 1991, Fijen has overseen Manifesta’s programme direction, selection of curatorial teams and host cities. Over the past decade the event has taken place in Palermo (2018), Pristina (2022), Barcelona (2024) and the upcoming edition in Ruhr (2026).
The biennial foundation has appointed Emilia van Lynden as general director and Catherine Nichols as artistic director, who will work on the leadership of Manifesta 17, which will open in Coimbra, Portugal, in 2028.
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