Manifesta 16 Ruhr
- Dates: June 21 - October 4, 2026.
- Title: This is not a church
- Artistic Directors & Curators: Hedwig Fijen, Henry Meyric-Hughes, Josep Bohigas, René Block, Krzystof Kosciuczuk, Anda Rottenberg, Leonie Herweg, Michael Kurtz, Gürsoy Doğtaş.
- Admission is free for CIMAM members. Preview on June 19 & 20, 2026
Exclusive for CIMAM Members
This year, Manifesta is pleased to offer CIMAM Members an exclusive Group Walk (an interactive tour) at St. Gertrud, Essen between 14.30 and 16.00 on the 20th of June.
Kindly confirm your attendance by 12 June at institutions@cimam.org
About Manifesta 16 Ruhr
Manifesta 16 Ruhr takes place across four cities in Germany’s Ruhr Area: Duisburg, Essen, Gelsenkirchen and Bochum. Based on pre-biennial investigations and Citizen Consultations, Manifesta 16 has developed an Urban Vision for this polycentric, post-industrial and highly diverse metropolitan region. The nomadic biennial will transform twelve abandoned post-war church buildings into communal spaces that foster dialogue, community cohesion and artistic innovation. By repurposing and rethinking these buildings as infrastructures for the surrounding neighbourhoods, Manifesta 16’s intergenerational and interdisciplinary Artistic Team aims to build a lasting impact with local communities.
The biennial was conceived in response to the political, economic and social changes of the 1990s, following the end of the Cold War and the subsequent steps towards European integration. As a nomadic knowledge producer, Manifesta has focused on the dialogue between culture and society in Europe at large.