The participants of Manifesta 16 Ruhr have been announced!

25.03.2026
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Over 100 artistic positions, 12 venues, 4 cities in the Ruhr Area: the artistic programme of Manifesta 16 Ruhr is now released. A total of 106 participants from 30 different countries are presented, including 64 new commissions developed specifically for Manifesta 16 Ruhr.

The participants were selected by the Creative Mediators, who work individually or in intergenerational tandems. Based on their respective perspectives, they develop contributions together with the invited participants that engage with the social, cultural and spatial realities of the Ruhr Area and re-examine them.

The curatorial concept of Manifesta 16 Ruhr is based on a dialogical approach: art emerges through exchange — between international and local positions, between artistic practice and societal questions, and between existing structures and new forms of use. The invited participants bring together a wide range of artistic methods, disciplines and experiences.

The projects take place at 12 venues across four cities in the Ruhr Area and bring together diverse artistic formats, from installation and performance to research-based and collaborative approaches. The focus is not only on the final works, but also on the processes, encounters and relationships that develop during the Biennial.

With the selection of its participants, Manifesta 16 Ruhr forms a diverse and interdisciplinary programme that connects international perspectives with local experiences and understands the biennial as an open space for exchange, participation and collective imagination.