Christian Jankowski (Göttingen, 1968) studied at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg (Germany) and is currently based in Berlin. In his artistic actions and media artworks, he makes use of film, video, and photography, but also painting, sculpture, and installation. Jankowski's work consists of performative interactions between himself and non-art professionals, between contemporary art and the so-called 'world outside of art'. During the course of his artistic career, Jankowski has collaborated with magicians, politicians, news anchors, and members of the Vatican, to name just a few. Jankowski registers these performative collaborations using the mass media formats in which he stages his work––film, photography, television, newspapers. This procedure lends his work its populist appeal. Jankowski's work can be seen both as a reflection, deconstruction, and a critique of a society based on spectacle. In his view, art has turned into a spectacle, and as a result, has undermined its critical potential.

Manifesta, the European Biennial of Contemporary Art, selected the City of Zurich as Manifesta 11 Host for 2016. Zurich offered the opportunity for Manifesta to research an urban environment for the first time. Manifesta 11 in Zurich means that the complex and rapidly changing identity of the city will be the object of close curatorial examination.

Zurich evolved in a relatively short period of time from a rural area into a global centre of finance. Both globalised and inwardly focused, the exhibition will investigate Zurich’s specific history while proactively seeking dialogue with the international and European communities. The role of Switzerland within the European history of art, as well as the history of its position in Europe in the 19th and 20th century will be other crucial aspects of the concept. Manifesta was initiated in response to the new social, cultural and political reality that emerged in the aftermath of the Cold War.

2016 marks a new era of Manifesta, as the biennial enters its second decade. Similarly, the historically significant Dada Movement will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2016, providing a unique opportunity for Zurich to explore its cultural history.

Christian Jankowski has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions, and his work is in the collection of numerous international museums. Recent solo exhibitions include: Heavy Weight History, CCA Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw (2013); Llorando por La Marcha de la Humanidad, Sala de Arte Público Siqueiros, Mexico City (2012); Casting Jesus, MARCO, Rome (2012); The Finest Art on Water, Frieze Art Fair, London (2011); Now For Something Completely Different, BAWAG Foundation, Vienna (2009); and Dienstbesprechung, Kunstmuseum Stuttgart (2008). Jankowski participated in the Venice Biennale in 1999 and 2013 as well as in the 2002 Whitney Biennial. Jankowski started his artistic career as a curator of his own independent space, Friedensallee 12, in Hamburg in the period 1992-1996.

Manifesta 11 is an initiative of the Manifesta Foundation in Amsterdam and the City of Zurich. A press conference announcing Christian Jankowski as Manifesta 11 Chief Curator will take place on 11 December 2014 at 9:30am in Zurich, Switzerland. * The M11 Curatorial Selection Committee consisted of Hedwig Fijen, Gijs van Tuyl, Mirjam Varadinis, Cuauhtemoc Medina, Barbara Basting, Heike Munder, Christoph Doswald and Martin Heller.

MANIFESTA 10, curated by Kasper König, took place from 28 June – 31 October 2014 in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation and attracted over 1 million visitors. Manifesta is the roving European Biennial of Contemporary Art. Previous Host

Cities and curators of Manifesta were:
·       Manifesta 1, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 1996: Katalyn Neray (Budapest), Rosa Martinez (Barcelona), Viktor Misiano (Moscow), Andrew Renton (London), Hans Ulrich Obrist (Paris/Zurich)
·       Manifesta 2, Luxemburg, Luxemburg 1998: Robert Fleck (Paris/Vienna), Maria Lind (Stockholm), Barbara Vanderlinden (Brussels)
·       Manifesta 3, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2000: Francesco Bonami (Chicago, Turin), Ole Bouman (Rotterdam), Maria Hlavajová (Amsterdam, Bratislava), Kathrin Rhomberg (Vienna)
·       Manifesta 4, Frankfurt, Germany, 2002: Iara Boubnova (Sofia), Nuria Enguita Mayo (Barcelona), Stephanie Moisdon – Trembley (Paris)
·       Manifesta 5, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain, 2004: Massimiliano Gioni (Milan / New York), Marta Kuzma (Kiev / New York)
·       Manifesta 6, Nicosia, Cyprus, 2006 (cancelled): Mai Abu ElDahab (Cairo), Anton Vidokle (New York), Florian Waldvogel (Germany)
·       Manifesta 7, Trentino-Alto Adige/ South-Tyrol, Italy, 2008: Adam Budak (Krakow/Graz), Anselm Franke (Antwerp/Berlin), Hila Peleg (Berlin), Raqs Media Collective (New Dehli)
·       Manifesta 8, Murcia and Cartagena, Spain, 2010: Alexandria Contemporary Arts Forum (ACAF), Chamber of Public Secrets (CPS), tranzit (dot) org
·       Manifesta 9, Genk, Limburg, Belgium, 2012: Cuauhtémoc Medina (Mexico), Katerina Gregos (Greece/Belgium) Dawn Ades (UK)
·       Manifesta 10, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, 2014: Kasper König (Germany).
 
For further information about Manifesta 11:
Foundation Manifesta 11
Museum Baerengasse
Baerengasse 22
CH-8001 Zurich
Switzerland
www.manifesta.org