Beginning with a consideration of unrealised exhibitions and their place within a developing exhibitionary canon, the research identifies the importance of documentation, not only of realised exhibitions, but also those ideas that, while remaining unrealised in their intended forms, have influenced curating in a significant way. The research asks questions such as: Is it only in its realisation that a curatorial project should be situated within an exhibitionary discourse? In the failure of its intended (public) presentation, what form does the curatorial idea take, and is the concept alone worthy of critical engagement or enquiry? For example, the cancelled Manifesta 6 exhibition (Nicosia, Cyprus, 2006), forms the basis of a key chapter within the dissertation. While the chapter locates the unrealised Manifesta exhibition within the framework of the research, it also illustrates Manifesta 6’s value within an exhibitionary canon (assuming an exhibitionary canon to be constructive within curatorial discourse). The chapter addresses the immediate issues underlying the curatorial strategy of the project. In particular, curating in a site of conflict, the ethical and social responsibility of the curator, and the curator’s agency. On the other hand, the chapter discusses the project’s expanded curatorial strategy. The cancellation of the Manifesta exhibition led to its manifestation in other forms: free schools, lectures, conferences, meetings, publications and discussions. Through a comprehensive analysis of Manifesta 6’s 'expanded' programming, the chapter identifies trends within curating that were directly and indirectly influenced by Manifesta 6’s response to its own failure.