Fans of Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, take note. You can catch the Australian actress in not, one, not two, but 13 separate roles in German cinematographer and video artist Julian Rosefeldt’s acclaimed film installation Manifesto, which will make its North American debut at New York’s Park Avenue Armory this December.
The project takes advantages of Blanchett’s chameleon-esque nature; she was previously the only women among six actors who portrayed different facets of singer-songwriter Bob Dylan’s career and public persona in the 2007 bio-pic I’m Not There.
“It’s an empathetic connection,” Blanchett told NPR about acting. She continued, “It’s about, you know, the joy of living many, many different lives.”
Julian Rosefeldt, Manifesto (2015), film stills featuring Cate Blanchett. Courtesy Julian Rosefeldt and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn.
At the Armory, viewers will be surrounded by a baker’s dozen of massive screens. Blanchett takes on a different role on each channel, from news anchor to ballet dancer. Each character recites a manifesto, quoting more than 50 artists from the last century, including Claes Oldenburg, Elaine Sturtevant, and Sol LeWitt, in poetic monologues.
The work premiered last year at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, and made artnet News’s list of 20 Great Exhibitions in Europe We’re Excited About in 2016 for its thoughtful pairing of historical text composed mainly by male authors with a dynamic female performer.
Julian Rosefeldt, Manifesto (2015), film still featuring Cate Blanchett as a homeless man. Courtesy Julian Rosefeldt and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn.
“Manifesto is a singular work of creative vision, which furthers the Armory’s tradition of mounting multidisciplinary projects that defy categorization,” said Park Avenue Armory artistic director Pierre Audi in a statement.
In New York, Rosefeldt will adapt the installation into a site-specific presentation for the Armory’s drill hall. Tickets will be $20, and the show will stay open until 10:00 p.m. on Friday nights.
“Julian Rosefeldt: Manifesto” is on view at the Park Avenue Armory, 643 Park Avenue, December 7, 2016–January 8, 2017.