The countdown is on. The website is already counting down the days until the big event: On June 21, 2026, the 16th edition of Manifesta will start in the Ruhr area. Even though that is still a while away, the organizers of the European nomadic biennale have long since begun their work. For months, they have been diligently researching and exploring on-site and have now been able to sketch some results and ideas for an audience. The venue for the first appearance of the Manifesta crew was certainly not chosen by chance: the church of St. Engelbert in Essen, rebuilt in 1954 by Dominikus Böhm, where no mass has been held for a long time. Since 2011, the profaned house of worship has provided a home for various choirs and is used for different cultural events.
Such buildings are particularly in focus for this edition of Manifesta, which takes place every two years in different locations across Europe: places of worship from more recent times that are no longer needed for religious purposes. Over 40 percent of churches in NRW were built after 1945, says Manifesta director Hedwig Fijen. Built with a focus on transparency and community, they reflect a change that was part of a comprehensive societal renewal. “Churches became a symbol of democracy at that time.” Another important figure complements Fijen's statement: It is estimated that 40,000 churches in Germany will be decommissioned within the next ten years.
This is where the Manifesta creators come in. Because with decommissioning comes the threat of sale or demolition and thus the loss of fundamental cultural heritage – in the Ruhr area, in Germany, and in Europe. Therefore, the biennale wants to work with people and communities, with artists and experts in selected churches at various locations in the Ruhr area, thereby drawing attention to the problem and discussing new uses – social, cultural, and even healing activities could find their place here even without services and believers. In the lead-up to Manifesta, they aim to gather ideas from the community.
