Manifesto

Julian Rosefeldt‘s film Manifesto (2016) pays homage to the movingtradition and literary beauty of artistic manifestos, ultimately questioningthe role of the artist in society today.Manifesto draws on the writings of Futurists, Dadaists, Fluxus artists,Suprematists, Situationists, Dogma 95 and other artist groups, andthe musings of individual artists, architects, dancers and filmmakers.Passing the ideas of Claes Oldenburg, Yvonne Rainer, Kazimir Malevich,André Breton, Sturtevant, Sol LeWitt, Jim Jarmusch, and other creatorsthrough his lens, Rosefeldt has edited and reassembled thirteen collagesof artists‘ manifestos.Performing these ‘new manifestos‘ as a contemporary call to action,while inhabiting thirteen different personas - among them a schoolteacher, a puppeteer, a newsreader, a factory worker and a homelessman - Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett imbues new dramaticlife into both famous and lesser-known words in unexpected contexts.Rosefeldt‘s film reveals the performative component and the politicalsignificance of these declarations. Often written in youthful rage, theynot only express the wish to change the world through art but alsoreflect the voice of a generation. Exploring the powerful urgency ofthese historical statements, which were composed with passion andconviction by artists many years ago, Manifesto questions whether thewords and sentiments have withstood the passage of time. Can theybe applied universally? And how have the dynamics between politics,art and life shifted?