ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Manifesta 16 repurposes 12 disused churches across Ruhr valley

festival-fair · 2026-04-14

The 30th anniversary edition of Manifesta, the nomadic biennial, opened on June 21, 2026, across four cities in Germany's Ruhr valley: Duisburg, Essen, Gelsenkirchen and Bochum. Titled Manifesta 16 Ruhr, it runs through October 4 and focuses on repurposing 12 disused churches in the region. The biennial explores how these former religious spaces can be revitalized through cultural and community projects in one of North Rhine-Westphalia's most disadvantaged areas. Director Hedwig Fijen noted that local residents expressed a need for common spaces for gatherings and barbecues. Among the installations, Berlin-based artist Nasan Tur created 'Elevation' at St. Gertrude Church in Essen, where pews are placed vertically with carved graffiti phrases. At St. Josef in Gelsenkirchen, Barcelona architect Josep Bohigas inflated a giant blue balloon and covered the floor with sand. St. Bonifatius in Gelsenkirchen was renamed in honor of Ferdane Satır, a migrant laborer killed in a 1984 racist attack; curator Gürsoy Doğtaş created a tea garden there. In Duisburg, Kulturkirche Liebfrauen, a 1958 Brutalist structure by Toni Hermanns, hosts a sound installation using pipes from destroyed church organs. The biennial also collaborates with dozens of museums and institutions across the Ruhr region. Fijen hopes the project provides models for church reuse and urges politicians to continue the conversation after Manifesta closes.

Key facts

  • Manifesta 16 Ruhr opened June 21, 2026 and runs through October 4, 2026
  • It is the 30th anniversary edition of the nomadic biennial
  • The biennial covers four cities: Duisburg, Essen, Gelsenkirchen and Bochum
  • 12 disused churches in the Ruhr valley are repurposed for art and community projects
  • St. Gertrude Church in Essen features Nasan Tur's installation 'Elevation'
  • St. Josef in Gelsenkirchen has a giant blue balloon installation by Josep Bohigas
  • St. Bonifatius in Gelsenkirchen is renamed for Ferdane Satır, a victim of a 1984 racist attack
  • Kulturkirche Liebfrauen in Duisburg, designed by Toni Hermanns, hosts a sound installation from destroyed organ pipes

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Manifesta
  • St. Gertrude Church
  • St. Josef
  • St. Bonifatius
  • Kulturkirche Liebfrauen
  • White Cube
  • Liverpool Biennial
  • Turbine Hall
  • Biennale Gherdëina
  • Climate Biennial: Art, Industry and Territory
  • Venice Biennale
  • Monocle
  • Manifesta 16
  • Markuskirche
  • St. Gertrud
  • St. Marien
  • St. Anna – Hatay Engin Music Hall
  • St. Bonifatius – Ferdane Satır Tea Garden
  • Thomaskirche – Hava Güleç Living Room
  • Christ-König
  • St. Anna
  • Gethsemane-Kirche
  • St. Ludgerus
  • Schauspielhaus Bochum
  • Manifesta 16+
  • Markuskirche Essen
  • Thomaskirche Gelsenkirchen
  • St. Bonifatius Gelsenkirchen
  • Christ-König-Kirche Bochum
  • Kulturkirche Liebfrauen Duisburg
  • St. Ludgerus Bochum
  • Weberei Kai
  • cabosanroque
  • Bureau Lada
  • Youtube
  • Open Society Foundation
  • European City of Culture
  • The Architect's Newspaper
  • Canadian Centre for Architecture
  • Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex
  • RuhrKunstMuseen
  • UNESCO
  • Zeche Zollverein
  • Bochumer Verein
  • designboom
  • Youth Shift
  • segnonline.it

Locations

  • Essen
  • Germany
  • Ruhr valley
  • North Rhine-Westphalia
  • Duisburg
  • Gelsenkirchen
  • Bochum
  • Barcelona
  • Berlin
  • Ruhr
  • Spain
  • Rotterdam
  • Netherlands
  • Palermo
  • Italy
  • Pristina
  • Kosovo
  • South Tyrol
  • Avilés
  • Europe
  • Ruhr region
  • Bottrop
  • Herne
  • Dortmund
  • Marl
  • Mülheim
  • Ruhrgebiet
  • Deutschland
  • Türkei
  • Kassel
  • Prag
  • Bundesrepublik Deutschland
  • Ruhr Valley
  • Luxembourg
  • St. Marien
  • Markuskirche
  • Thomaskirche
  • St. Bonifatius
  • Gelsenkirchen-Ückendorf
  • Essen-Karnap
  • St.-Josef-Kirche
  • Rhine-Herne Canal
  • Erzbahntrasse
  • Ruhr Area
  • Poland
  • Turkey

Sources

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