Manifesta 16 Biennale Reopens Ruhr Churches as Contemporary Art Venues

The 16th edition of Manifesta, the European nomadic biennale, is taking place in the Ruhr region of Germany until 4 October 2026. Twelve former Catholic and Protestant churches in cities such as Gelsenkirchen, Duisburg, Essen, and Bochum have been transformed into exhibition spaces, gyms, tea rooms and community venues.

More than 100 contemporary artists and collectives are featured, including Mona Hatoum, Luc Tuymans, Alicja Kwade, Katharina Fritsch, Mirosław Bałka, Małgorzata Mirga‑Tas and Olaf Metzel. The installations address themes such as immigration and the future of secularised church buildings, with one former church renamed the “Tea Garden of Ferdane Satir” in memory of the Turkish mother killed in a xenophobic fire in 1984.

The project also raises broader questions about the fate of Germany’s roughly 40 000 churches, many of which face deconsecration and possible reuse as libraries, co‑working spaces, housing or commercial venues.