Since its first edition in 1996, Manifesta has moved to a new European city or region every two years. This year’s edition of the nomadic biennial will take place in four cities in the Ruhr Area: Duisburg, Essen, Gelsenkirchen and Bochum. 

Beyond contemporary art, Manifesta addresses architecture, education, ecology, societal issues and the local community. Each edition explores urgent social and political topics in Europe, drawing on the unique context of its host city or region. In doing so, local challenges are linked to broader regional concerns. 

Against this backdrop, Manifesta 16 Ruhr addresses the issue of repurposing vacant or deconsecrated church buildings—a pressing problem in the Ruhr Area and throughout Europe. The goal is to transform the twelve church buildings serving as venues into accessible, non-commercial spaces. Through art, performance, sound, sports, community kitchens and architectural interventions, spaces and moments are created that impact the surrounding neighborhoods, shaping the buildings’ social role beyond the biennial. 

This publication presents all twelve venues, documents the interventions and situates the locations and projects within their historical, transformative and urban contexts.