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“I actually have more freedom to make choice with a flat screen” – interview with Vânia Gala, the Artistic Anchor of the Manifest project, about her experience in Nantes and the use of XR

The multimedia exhibition in Nantes marked the grand finale of the Manifest project, showcasing the culmination of two years of artistic work across a wide range of media—from traditional genres like painting to intermedia installations and XR technology. The exhibition, which ran from September 19 to October 6 at l’Atelier in Nantes, attracted over 2,000 visitors and was accompanied by various programs, including panel discussions, workshops, and school visits.

The exhibition aimed to offer an innovative perspective on the history and legacies of the transatlantic slave trade, placing art at the centre of evoking memories and exploring these legacies. Through the works presented, the twenty-two artists of Manifest sought to reconcile both individual and collective memories, ensuring they are preserved from being forgotten. We spoke with Vânia Gala, the Artistic Anchor of the Manifest project, about her experience in Nantes and the use of XR as one of the central mediums in the exhibition, exploring both its limitations and possibilities in shaping the presented artworks.

Opencallmanifest

MANIFEST – Open Call for artists

MANIFEST is looking for artists that are motivated to contribute with new artistic perspectives to re-imagine Europe’s collective memory of the transatlantic trade of enslaved people.

MANIFEST is an artistic and educational initiative that will support the creation of 12 artworks. The artworks should seek to enhance the re-imagination of Europe’s collective memory of the transatlantic trade of enslaved people. The artworks will be developed through an Artistic Journey with the help and facilitation of artistic supervisors, academic researchers, and production partners.

Along the Artistic Journey, artists will work in residencies and be encouraged to work with new technologies. The final artworks will be produced in digital formats in either Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), video or audio – sound formats, and spoken art.