Openbaren
The word "manifest" is meant to invoke an overall re-thinking of the conditions of formulating an artist statement, particularly as these documents have become a major component of an artist's self-promotion via the Internet. In one sense a manifest is a document of origins - an account of reasons to embark on a journey - an inventory of human passage and commercial goods. However, providing the luxury of being self-possessed, one can also manifest themselves at some future destination and live in the dream of reaching solid utopic land. That both meanings of the term conjure up a Eurocentric history of human bondage, empirical science, and exceptional individualism, match perfectly with this gesture of linguistic reification precisely because artists seem to have forgotten the origins of their treasured "manifesto." To manifest a convincing document that gives logic to origins quickens the progress towards a destination. This intrinsic logic is seen clearly in even the most mundane curriculum vitae. By acquiring and listing all of the proper qualifications, one can proceed to finding a better job, a house, and even maybe their own business if their lucky. But this process does not stop at the artist alone. They have been joined by complex market of creative elaborators (historians, connouseurs, gallerists, museums, magazines, nonprofits, etc.) Working together they provide a manifest of artistic progress to a consuming public. I am not saying that artists shouldn't seek work, but I don think that understanding of progress should be carried over into their own art practice.
