Medina, associate curator of Latin American Art at Tate Modern from 2006 to 2008, works as an academic researcher at the Instituto de Investigaciones Estéticas at the National University of Mexico in Mexico City (where he is also one of the founders of Teratoma, a group of curators, critics and anthropologists). This year, however, saw the culmination of his 2011 appointment to curate Manifesta 9, in Genk, Belgium. Taking the theme of coal literally – stemming from the colliery venue of this edition of the transient exhibition – this tight show eschewed all expectations of the freewheeling biennial, placing archive material, social artefacts and art (much of which was made from the black stuff ) together, garnering widespread critical and public plaudits for the subtlety of its political aims and acute socioeconomic commentary.