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

Beth Stephens, Annie Sprinkle, US

In 2008, Beth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle married the Earth. So fertile was their green forest wedding, that it gave birth to a whole new movement: ecosexuality. When it comes to saving the planet, Eros and love, so they argue, are more powerful – and more fun – than fear.

The first wedding was followed by others: a blue wedding to the sky, a purple wedding to the moon, a white wedding to the snow and many more. Each time Stephens and Sprinkle took their vows to love, honour and cherish a different part of the cosmos, their wedding guests joined them in doing so.

The weddings were documented on video and in photographs, while the full trajectory of the movement – from manifestos and performances to love art labs – is catalogued in their recent monograph. What does it feel like to cultivate an erotic relationship to the earth, to take the earth as a lover? Their Dirt Bed is a good place to find out.