Manifesta 16 Ruhr Occupies Deconsecrated Churches, Grapples with Far-Right Rise and Postwar Trauma
The 16th iteration of the European biennial Manifesta, named 'This is not a church', is being held until 4 October in 12 former churches located in Bochum, Duisburg, Essen, and Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The exhibition showcases the works of 106 artists and delves into themes such as secularization, postwar trauma, migration, and the far-right AfD. Highlights include Luc Tuymans's 'KINO' at Christ-König Church in Bochum, Abbas Zahedi's 'Ouranophobia 47051' at Duisburg's Kulturkirche Liebfrauen, and Elizabeth Price's 'WHERE ARE YOU WHERE ARE YOU'. Pınar Öğrenci's film 'Glück auf in Deutschland' at St Anna in Bochum emphasizes 'guest worker' stories, while Gürsoy Doğtaş pays tribute to migrant victims by renaming churches. Additionally, Marina Naprushkina's 'Kein Geläut' at Gethsemane Church features a bouncy castle bell, and a basketball court by Social BallerZ e.V. in Gelsenkirchen is recommended to remain after the event.
Key facts
- Manifesta 16 runs through 4 October in Bochum, Duisburg, Essen, and Gelsenkirchen.
- The biennial occupies 12 deconsecrated or underused churches.
- 106 artists participate in the edition subtitled 'This is not a church'.
- Luc Tuymans's 'KINO' (2026) at Christ-König Church features colourised scenes from Leni Riefenstahl's 'Triumph of the Will' with swastikas removed.
- Abbas Zahedi's 'Ouranophobia 47051' (2026) uses orphan pipes from disused organs across Europe, including Kyiv's Church of St Nicholas.
- Elizabeth Price's 'WHERE ARE YOU WHERE ARE YOU' (2026) compares a modernist church in London's Bermondsey with Essen's Marienkirche.
- Pınar Öğrenci's film 'Glück auf in Deutschland (Good Luck in Germany)' (2024) explores 'guest worker' miners' narratives.
- Marina Naprushkina's 'Kein Geläut' (2026) is a bouncy castle shaped like a cut bell inscribed 'We'll never go back!'.
Entities
Artists
- Luc Tuymans
- Abbas Zahedi
- Elizabeth Price
- Pınar Öğrenci
- Marina Naprushkina
- Asimina Paradissa
- Zuza Golińska
- Małgorzata Mirga-Tas
- Gürsoy Doğtaş
- Michael Kurtz
- Henry Meyer-Hughes
- Krzystof Kościuczuk
- Anda Rottenberg
- Herbert Grönemeyer
- Leni Riefenstahl
- Frank Dudda
- Ferdane Satır
- Hava Güleç
Institutions
- Manifesta
- SPD
- AfD
- RVR Ruhr Parliament
- Social BallerZ e.V.
- Ruhr Museum Photography Archive
- Kulturkirche Liebfrauen
- Christ-König Church
- St Anna
- St Josef
- Gethsemane Church
- St Bonifatius
- Thomaskirche
- Church of St Nicholas (Kyiv)
Locations
- Bochum
- Germany
- Duisburg
- Essen
- Gelsenkirchen
- Ruhr area
- London
- Bermondsey
- Marienkirche (Essen)
- Kyiv
- Poland
- Gdańsk
- Belarus
- Turkey
- Greece