The Krupp Foundation is supporting the 16th edition of the international art festival Manifesta in the Ruhr region
On Saturday 20 June 2026 at 7 pm, the 16th edition of the international art festival Manifesta will open at the UNESCO World Heritage Zollverein with a colourful evening programme featuring music, performances and much more. Until 4 October 2026, twelve decommissioned post-war churches in Duisburg, Essen, Gelsenkirchen and Bochum will be transformed into venues for contemporary art, encounters and exchange.
Under the title “This is not a church”, the Biennale explores how these particular buildings can once again become part of urban life, as spaces for community, physical wellbeing and new forms of coexistence. “At a time when more than 20,000 churches across Germany are expected to become vacant or deconsecrated over the coming decade, Manifesta 16 Ruhr places the future of these buildings firmly on the national agenda. Through new artistic commissions, community-led initiatives and collaborative research, the biennial presents twelve examples of how former churches can be transformed into exhibition spaces, gardens, music halls, art schools, textile workshops, cultural centres and spaces for civic engagement.,” the press release states.
107 international artists and an interdisciplinary team developed site-specific projects at the various venues, including 67 new works that engage directly with the region’s histories, people and questions about the future.
The opening event, as well as the supporting programme and visits to the venues throughout the festival period, are free of charge.
The nomadic Manifesta Biennale has been held every two years in a different European city since 1996 and aims to foster dialogue between culture and society in Europe. The Krupp Foundation supports the festival as part of its funding activities in the field of art and culture.