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.

Susan Philipsz, IE

Sonic installation in public space at Cankarjeva cesta underpass

Scottish artist Susan Philipsz installed a loudspeaker in an underpass in a park in Ljubljana which broadcast a recording of herself singing the revolutionary workers’ anthem the Internationale, at ten minute intervals. The song’s interpretation was ambiguous as the singer's voice conveyed neither enthusiasm nor sadness, but rather nuances of both. It could be interpreted as a hymn to a lost era, an anthem that was no longer a call to political action.