Manifesta 2026 Biennial to Take Place in Germany's Ruhr Region

In 2026, the sixteenth edition of the traveling biennial Manifesta will take place in Germany's Ruhr region. This event will explore how evolving global dynamics affect an area traditionally associated with coal mining, heavy industry, and international trade routes like the New Silk Road. The initiative originated from a partnership among local institutions and regional curators, focusing on the implications and opportunities presented by global change through artistic, scientific, and everyday local viewpoints. It will examine the intersections and connections within the Ruhr, probing the interplay between global and regional influences on the future. This announcement comes after the confirmation that Manifesta 2024 will occur in various Catalan cities, including Barcelona and L'Hospitalet. The 2022 edition is set for Pristina, Kosovo. An ArtReview piece by Digby Warde-Aldam recently critiqued Manifesta 13 in Marseille, pointing out how such events might unintentionally contribute to the gentrification they aim to address, revealing contradictions in socially aware projects.