About

Manifesta 16 Ruhr opens on the 21st of June 2026 and runs until the 4th of October 2026 in different cities throughout the Ruhr Area. Initiated by International Foundation Manifesta (IFM) and invited by the Regionalverband Ruhr (RVR) and the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the central theme of Manifesta 16 Ruhr is rooted in the historical and architectural legacy of post-war religious buildings. Manifesta 16 will present a 100-day programme of artistic interventions, performances, workshops and family activities to revitalise and reimagine these historical spaces, which were built as symbols of a new democracy.

Across Germany, many neighbourhoods are witnessing a profound change as churches stand empty or face demolition. Within the next 10 years, 50% of all Germany’s churches are projected to close their doors. These buildings, often representing modernist or brutalist architectural styles, are now largely abandoned due to declining religious engagement. This is where Manifesta 16 comes in. The biennial aims to repurpose and rethink these structures into civic and cultural spaces that foster dialogue, community cohesion and artistic innovation. The legacy Manifesta 16 will leave behind offers sustainable solutions to transform the abandoned churches in the Ruhr Area into community spaces.

Pre-biennial

Through in-depth research led by Manifesta 16’s First Creative Mediator, Catalan urbanist Josep Bohigas, a site-specific model has been created that redefines the now-abandoned church buildings not merely as relics, but as incubators for community renewal. Now more than ever, in an age shaped by social media, digitalisation and growing polarisation, there is an urgent need to foster unity and bring people together.

During workshops in collaboration with TU Dortmund, architecture students presented sketches for Urban Interventions that transform empty former church buildings into communal hubs with a new cultural or social purpose. These ideas are integrated into the Manifesta 16 Urban Vision and map out how we can reimagine these abandoned spaces.

In the lead-up to the biennial’s opening, pre-biennial programmes are organised in and around the Manifesta 16 Ruhr offices and the adjacent St. Josef’s Church in Gelsenkirchen, responding to certain wishes of the surrounding neighbourhood.

The Biennial

Manifesta 16 will take place in twelve former churches across Bochum, Essen, Gelsenkirchen and Duisburg. These striking buildings will be opened to host the artistic programme, showcasing how churches can be transformed into something new shaped by and for its communities.

Manifesta 16 Ruhr’s programme is developed by the Artistic Team and will consist of new site-specific artistic commissions by renowned and upcoming artists and social designers from all over the world. Alongside new commissions, Manifesta 16 Ruhr launched an Open Call for interdisciplinary projects from across the entire region — linked to their local empty church.

Within the Ruhr Area’s layered historical context, Manifesta 16 positions itself as more than an art biennial — serving instead as an incubator of change and a transdisciplinary mechanism for urban and cultural reactivation.

Education & Mediation

Who are our audiences and why does Manifesta want to engage with people who never attend art shows and cultural events? Manifesta listens to what citizens and communities have to say about the future of their neighbourhoods.

Manifesta 16 Ruhr includes a comprehensive Education and Mediation programme aimed at diverse audiences, from school children to local social workers. The Youth Shift Internship programme was launched to help design parts of the biennial for younger audiences. Citizen Consultations have been held to gather insights and foster a sense of ownership among local communities. These consultations were organised in Essen, Duisburg, Bochum and Gelsenkirchen in the spring of 2025. Schools across the region will be involved through tailored art projects.

Manifesta 16 Ruhr Public Programme and Open Call

The public programme of Manifesta 16 includes an Open Call to ensure collectives, associations and community groups can propose projects to be realised during Manifesta 16 in 2026. From a choir to a bee collective, from a children’s dance school to tea ceremonies - we encouraged a diversity of proposals. We have invited all citizens from the Ruhr Area to make a proposal and finally eleven projects will be selected and realised.

Manifesta 16’s public programme starts before the biennial period and will reach a wide and varied audience. Activities and events will take place throughout the region and in collaboration with local cultural and social organisations. During the biennial, the public programme and Open Call will further activate Manifesta 16 venues through events, artists’ talks, tours, conferences, screenings and performances.