Berlin-based Kasper König has been selected as Chief Curator of Manifesta 10 in 2014, which is to be hosted in St Petersburg, Russia, with the State Hermitage Museum as its main venue.
König, an internationally renowned curator described by Manifesta as ‘one of the most iconic figures in the contemporary art world’, is the father of the art dealers Johann König (Berlin) and Leo Koenig (New York), and brother of Cologne publisher Walther König. He has curated many large-scale international exhibitions in the last 30 years and in 1977 was co-founder of the Skulptur Projekte Münster, which takes place every 10 years in the German city.
From 1988 to 1999, König was professor at the Städelschule in Frankfurt and was also founding director of the Portikus, Frankfurt/Main. König was the director of Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Germany, from 2000 to 2012.
Speaking about his approach to curating Manifesta, König said: “Manifesta 10 in the Hermitage will be subtle and substantial; contemporary art and exhibits from the State Hermitage Museum should dance side by side. The Manifesta Biennial will complement the Hermitage’s 250th anniversary while celebrating its own 20th anniversary, so it should provide another perspective. I look forward to the challenge of working with contemporary art in this context, hoping to make an exhibition that is intelligent and playful.”
In response to new anti-gay laws recently introduced in Russia, there are calls for Manifesta to reconsider St Petersburg as its chosen city for the next biennial. An online petition, which currently has just under 600 supporters, has recently been launched.
Manifesta 10 will take place 28 June–31 October, 2014. More information at manifesta.org
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