“Park Avenue Armory mounts the North American premiere of Manifesto—a work by Julian Rosefeldt that stars Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett. Inspired by the tradition of artist manifestos, Manifesto is a collage of artistic declarations of the 20th century, reinterpreted as poetic monologues that provoke timeless questions about the artist’s role in society. Rosefeldt adapts the installation in a site-specific presentation for the Armory’s Wade Thompson Drill Hall.

The 13 scenes that comprise Manifesto draw on more than 50 milestones of artist manifestos from the past century, woven together into dramatic soliloquies that highlight specific movements or schools of thought. The texts are brought to life by Blanchett, who creates 13 different roles in a kaleidoscopic series of characterizations ranging from a funeral orator to a TV anchorwoman to a corporate CEO to a homeless man. Presented simultaneously on adjacent screens, the text and images blend together into a highly theatrical cinematic installation that recaptures the defiant spirit of its source material for a contemporary audience.” — Park Avenue Armory

“Today I think of the manifesto as a rite of passage, not only for young artists but also for young people in general.” — Julian Rosefeldt

Installation of Julian Rosefeldt’s Manifesto at Park Avenue Armory. Photo by James Ewing.

Installation of Julian Rosefeldt’s Manifesto at Park Avenue Armory. Photo by James Ewing.

Julian Rosefeldt, Manifesto, 2015 © Julian Rosefeldt and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Installation of Julian Rosefeldt’s Manifesto at Park Avenue Armory. Photo by James Ewing.

Julian Rosefeldt, Manifesto, 2015 © Julian Rosefeldt and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Installation of Julian Rosefeldt’s Manifesto at Park Avenue Armory. Photo by James Ewing.

Julian Rosefeldt, Manifesto, 2015 © Julian Rosefeldt and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Installation of Julian Rosefeldt’s Manifesto at Park Avenue Armory. Photo by James Ewing.

Julian Rosefeldt, Manifesto, 2015 © Julian Rosefeldt and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Installation of Julian Rosefeldt’s Manifesto at Park Avenue Armory. Photo by James Ewing.

Julian Rosefeldt, Manifesto, 2015 © Julian Rosefeldt and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

Julian Rosefeldt, Manifesto, Portraits, 2015 © Julian Rosefeldt and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

“As an institution dedicated to pushing the boundaries of artistic convention, the Armory is an ideal setting for a work like Manifesto that takes up artistic iconoclasm as its very subject,” said Rebecca Robertson, President and Executive Producer of Park Avenue Armory. “We are thrilled to be working with Julian Rosefeldt on an immersive installation of this daring work, and to offer our audiences the opportunity to experience Cate Blanchett’s astonishingly diverse and affecting performances.”

“Manifesto is a singular work of creative vision, which furthers the Armory’s tradition of mounting multidisciplinary projects that defy categorization,” said Pierre Audi, Artistic Director of Park Avenue Armory. “We are pleased to bring this soaring tribute to the artist manifesto, the result of an ambitious collaboration between two world-class artists, to our majestic drill hall in a site-specific installation.”

Images courtesy Park Avenue Armory.