Manifesta 16 Ruhr at St. Anna Church Bochum: Experience art in church space

Event: Manifesta 16 Ruhr at St. Anna Church Bochum in St. Anna-Kirche, Goldhammer Str. 14 A on 29. September 2026

Date and Time

29. September 2026 11:00

Location

Bochum
44 Bochum, Deutschland

Price

Free

About this Event

Exhibitions & Museums

Mood

Relaxed

Venue Type

Inside

Manifesta 16 Ruhr at St. Anna Church Bochum: Art, Space and Transformation

The Manifesta 16 Ruhr brings contemporary art to St. Anna Church Bochum and transforms a sacred place into a space for exhibition, dialogue, and aesthetic experience. From June 21 to October 4, 2026, the biennial will use empty and underutilized churches in the Ruhr area with installations, performances, workshops, and site-specific commissioned works. For Bochum, St. Anna Church in Goldhamme is a significant venue for this cultural transformation. ([bochum-tourismus.de](https://www.bochum-tourismus.de/was-ist-los/veranstaltungskalender/veranstaltung/manifesta-16-ruhr-in-der-st-anna-kirche-bochum-86.html))

A Place with History, a Program with Presence

St. Anna Church, designed by Wilhelm Peter in 1929, is located west of Bochum's center in the Goldhamme district, an area whose history is closely tied to the steel industry and worker culture. This is where Manifesta 16 Ruhr begins: The biennial conceptualizes church architecture not as a closed space of memory, but as an open field for cultural education, social participation, and curatorial retelling. ([staging.manifesta16.org](https://staging.manifesta16.org/de/venues/st-anna-bochem?utm_source=openai))

Between Light, Material and Resonance

Visitors entering this exhibition do not experience a classic white cube situation, but rather a spatial art contemplation with a special atmosphere. The interplay of church space, historical architecture, and contemporary installation creates tensions between silence and publicness, devotion and experimentation, sanctity, and urban presence. Manifesta 16 Ruhr sees itself as a platform for dialogue and collaborative work - an approach that transforms contemporary art into a vibrant art experience. ([manifesta16.org](https://manifesta16.org/about?utm_source=openai))

Curatorial Idea and Cultural Education

Behind the program is an interdisciplinary artistic team with Creative Mediators such as Josep Bohigas, Gürsoy Doğtaş, Henry Meyric-Hughes, Michael Kurtz, René Block, Leonie Herweg, Krzysztof Kosciuczuk, and Anda Rottenberg. The biennial focuses on mediation formats, workshops, and family-friendly offerings to make art an experiential social practice. Thus, Manifesta 16 Ruhr connects art history, contemporary art, and museum educational perspectives in an open format. ([bochum-tourismus.de](https://www.bochum-tourismus.de/was-ist-los/veranstaltungskalender/veranstaltung/manifesta-16-ruhr-in-der-st-anna-kirche-bochum-86.html))

What Visitors Can Expect in Bochum

At St. Anna Church Bochum, visitors will encounter a program that questions the reinterpretation of space and sharpens the focus on churches as cultural places. Artistic interventions and installations addressing architecture, community, and the transformation of the Ruhr area will be presented. Admission is free, orientation follows the regional Manifesta concept with clear opening hours and good accessibility by public transport. ([bochum-tourismus.de](https://www.bochum-tourismus.de/was-ist-los/veranstaltungskalender/veranstaltung/manifesta-16-ruhr-in-der-st-anna-kirche-bochum-86.html))

Manifesta 16 Ruhr at St. Anna Church Bochum promises a demanding art experience between thought space and urban space. Anyone wanting to experience contemporary art, architecture, and cultural education in an unusual exhibition atmosphere should definitely visit this place live. ([staging.manifesta16.org](https://staging.manifesta16.org/de/venues/st-anna-bochem?utm_source=openai))

Official Channels of Manifesta 16 Ruhr:

Sources:

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