Manifesta purposely strives to keep its distance from what are often seen as the dominant centres of artistic production, instead seeking fresh and fertile terrain for the mapping of a new cultural topography.

Manifesta 13 Marseille was one of the only international biennials to take place during the global pandemic COVID-19, the biennial ended earlier than planned due to the second national lockdown

Anita Conti, FR

Anita Conti (1899-1997, FR) was a French explorer, photographer and the first French female oceanographer. She used to write poems and exercise in book binding. But after having married a diplomat Marcel Conti in 1927, she started traveling around the world, exploring the seas and documenting her experience. She published many scientific reports on the negative effects of industrial fishing and the different problems related to fishing practices. In 1971, Conti published L’Océan, Les Bêtes et L’Homme, which denounced the disaster that men create and its effects on the oceans. Through many conferences and forums and for the rest of her life, she advocated for the betterment of the marine world.