Exhibition 'Manifesta 16 Ruhr'
'This is not a church' - 15 weeks of Art&Culture
4 cities, 12 venues, 107 artists, 65 new commissions
Duration of exhibition: June 21th - October 4th, 2026

'Kulturkirche Liebfrauen' is one of vacant respectively repurposed churches of the Ruhr area used as venues for the international roving biennial "Manifesta" in 2026.

The Catholic Liebfrauenkirche ('Church of Our Lady') - in the bustling city centre of Duisburg - has been chosen, because she is one of the most important churches of the post-war modern era located in the Rhine-Ruhr area - typical for civil society engagement in the realignment of secularized churches.

The 'Urban Vision' project examined the current and historical social structure of the Ruhr area. Their research was essential for developing the conceptual framework and for the final selection of twelve venues:
Bochum: Christ König, Gethsemane, St.Anna, St.Ludgerus
Duisburg: Liebfrauenkirche
Essen: Markuskirche, St.Gertrud, St.Marien
Gelsenkirchen: St.Anna, St.Bonifatius, St.Josef, Thomaskirche.

Taking part at the Liebfrauenkirche:
Creative facilitators: Henry Meyric Hughes, Michael Kurtz
Artists: Abbas Zahedi, Athina Koumparouli, Elizabeth Price, Emil Walde, Julian Irlinger

Manifesta 16 Ruhr Büro: Virchowstr.2, 45886 Gelsenkirchen

Please, find the venues on their website Web-Seite der Manifesta!