Hedwig Fijen. Founding Director of Manifesta. Courtesy Manifesta Foundation
Hedwig Fijen to Step Down as Director of Manifesta; New Leadership Announced
After more than three decades at the helm of Manifesta, the European Nomadic Biennial, Founding Director Hedwig Fijen will step down from her role on October 5, 2026, marking the end of a defining chapter for one of Europe’s most influential experimental cultural platforms.
Fijen has led Manifesta since its inception in 1991, when she was commissioned by the Netherlands Office for Fine Arts in The Hague to develop a pan-European platform for contemporary art. Over the past 30 years, she has overseen the selection of host cities, curatorial teams, and programme direction, while guiding the organisation’s broader evolution.
Reflecting on her tenure, Fijen stated:
“I am deeply thankful that Manifesta has helped shape a generation of curators and cultural practitioners, contributing to a vast body of more than 1,000 newly commissioned, site-specific works. It is especially rewarding that many artists realised their first major commissions within Manifesta, even under challenging geopolitical conditions. Working with ever-changing teams across more than 15 cities – alongside approximately 750 colleagues – has been an extraordinary experience, each contributing their own energy and perspective. I am proud to have transformed Manifesta into a hybrid, interdisciplinary platform focused on experimentation and transformative processes as an incubator for change.”
During her leadership, Manifesta expanded significantly beyond its initial exhibition format, evolving into a hybrid, interdisciplinary platform addressing social, cultural, and urban transformation. A key innovation was the introduction of the pre-biennial research phase, bringing together architects, urbanists, and cultural practitioners to engage deeply with each host city’s context.
As noted by the Supervisory Board of the International Foundation Manifesta:
“After 30 years, Manifesta as a nomadic biennial – founded in the aftermath of the Cold War – remains highly relevant within the cultural and urban landscape. Each edition asks not only what contemporary art is, but what culture can do in a specific place, at a specific moment – how it can engage with urbanism, public space and the lived realities of the city. This emphasis on context, long-term research and civic engagement sustains its influence, particularly in today’s debates around the social role of art, urban transformation and the connections it fosters.”
Following a six-month transition period, Manifesta will adopt a co-leadership model, with Emilia van Lynden appointed as General Director and Catherine Nichols as Artistic Director.
Emilia van Lynden, who has served as Deputy Director since 2019, has worked closely with Fijen across the past four editions of the biennial. Catherine Nichols, a curator with longstanding ties to Manifesta, previously contributed as Creative Mediator for Manifesta 14 Prishtina and as a member of the Artistic Board for Manifesta 16 Ruhr.
On her appointment, Emilia van Lynden commented:
“It is a privilege to continue working within such a distinctive European platform, one that engages deeply with the cultural, social and urban fabric of cities and regions. Opportunities to collaborate in this way are exceptionally rare, especially given Manifesta’s transformative nature. At a time when Europe’s unifying principles must be actively upheld, I look forward to advancing Manifesta’s work in engaging with local civic issues that reverberate across the continent.”
Catherine Nichols added:
“It is a profound honour to take on the role of Artistic Director of Manifesta, a platform that has, for more than three decades, continually redefined what a biennial can be and do. What I find compelling is its nomadic structure and its commitment to being embedded in the social, cultural and urban realities of each host context through a research-driven format grounded in listening and learning. At a time of transformation in Europe, I look forward to building on this through artistic thinking, urban enquiry and storytelling that open up new cultural, political and civic imaginaries.”
The new leadership team will begin developing future editions of the biennial, starting with Manifesta 17 in Coimbra, Portugal.
Founded in the aftermath of the Cold War, Manifesta has operated as a nomadic biennial and knowledge platform, moving across Europe to engage with the social, cultural, and geopolitical contexts of each host city. Over time, it has developed an interdisciplinary and intergenerational approach that connects contemporary art with urban development, civic engagement, and long-term cultural transformation.
With editions spanning more than 15 cities, including Palermo (2018), Prishtina (2022), and Barcelona (2024), Manifesta has continuously redefined its role in relation to local realities, positioning itself as both a cultural platform and a space for urban spatial reflection.
The transition in leadership marks not only the conclusion of Hedwig Fijen’s longstanding directorship, but also the beginning of a new phase in the evolution of Manifesta’s model and mission.
