ESSEN.- Manifesta 16 Ruhr opened to the public on June 21, 2026, the biennale features a significant representation of contemporary art from Poland. Across twelve former churches in Germany's Ruhr region, nine Polish artists contributed to a program that brings together more than 100 participants from 33 countries.
The participating artists—Mirosław Bałka, Zuza Golińska, Nicolas Grospierre, Jarosław Kozłowski, Katarzyna Kozyra, Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, Anka Sasnal, Wilhelm Sasnal, and Mikołaj Sobczak—represent a wide range of generations and artistic approaches. Together, their works reflect the diversity and international relevance of Poland's contemporary art scene, spanning conceptual art, installation, photography, painting, film, performance, and socially engaged practices. Several artists will present newly commissioned projects developed specifically for the biennale.
Organized under the title This is not a church, Manifesta 16 Ruhr takes place across decommissioned churches in Bochum, Essen, Duisburg, and Gelsenkirchen. Conceived by an international curatorial team that includes Anda Rottenberg and Krzysztof Kościuczuk, the exhibition transforms former places of worship into spaces for artistic projects and community engagement.
Developed through field research, local consultation, and collaboration with an interdisciplinary team, Manifesta 16 Ruhr engages directly with the Ruhr region's history of industrial transformation, migration, and cultural diversity. Through more than fifty newly commissioned works and site-specific projects, the biennale explores how former religious infrastructures might once again become spaces for gathering and everyday social life in a world shaped by crises, disinformation, and division.
Poland forms one of the largest national representations in the biennale, alongside Germany and Turkey. This reflects both the increasingly important role of contemporary art from Poland, and the broader social and cultural history that shapes the Ruhr region itself.
The exhibition runs from June 21 through October 4, 2026. The participation of Polish artists in Manifesta 16 Ruhr is supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.
