When does the exhibition take place?

The event is scheduled for August 20, 2026, at 11:00 AM.

How much does entry cost?

Entry is free. No ticket is required.

Is the St. Anna Church accessible for wheelchair users?

Yes, the access is wheelchair accessible. However, according to the event information, there is no wheelchair-accessible restroom.

How do I get to the St. Anna Church?

The address is Goldhammer Str. 14 A in 44793 Bochum. The exhibition is located west of Bochum's center in the Goldhamme district.

Are there guided tours or educational offerings?

Manifesta 16 Ruhr is designed as an exhibition with educational and mediation programs. Specific dates will follow based on program status.

What type of exhibition can I expect?

It is a contemporary art presentation within the framework of Manifesta 16 Ruhr with artistic interventions in the church space.

Art in the Church Space: Manifesta 16 Ruhr Transforms Bochum's St. Anna Church

Name: Manifesta 16 Ruhr at the St. Anna Church Bochum
Start: 2026-08-20T13:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-08-20T20:00:00+02:00
Location: St. Anna-Kirche

When Art Resonates through a Church

The Manifesta 16 Ruhr transforms the St. Anna Church in Bochum into a place of contemporary art, architectural resonance, and cultural encounters. On August 20, 2026, the historic church in the Goldhamme district opens for an exhibition that sharpens the view of sacred spaces, urban history, and artistic interventions.

An Artistic Experience between Space, Light, and History

The European Biennale for contemporary art uses a post-war modern church in Bochum as a stage for new perspectives. The St. Anna Church, designed in 1929 by Wilhelm Peter, stands in dialogue with the Goldhamme district, whose identity is closely linked to the steel industry and labor history. This is precisely where the exhibition derives its unique atmosphere: Art does not appear here as a finished production but as a living engagement with place, memory, and community.

District, Sacred Space, and Social Imagination

Manifesta 16 Ruhr works with vacant or reimagined churches as cultural spaces. In Bochum, this curatorial decision brings to the forefront the question of how architecture, social use, and aesthetic experience shape each other. The church thus becomes not only an exhibition space but also a space for cultural education, participation, and urban future.

A Program with Artistic and Social Depth

The Manifesta 16 Ruhr is designed as a 100-day program and includes artistic interventions, performances, workshops, and family offerings. For the Bochum station, site-specific works are planned that respond to the respective church space and its social context. The exhibition thereby connects art history, contemporary art, and education in a remarkably reflective manner.

What Visitors Can Expect

Those who enter the St. Anna Church do not experience a neutral white cube, but a space with character, acoustic presence, and historical layering. This is precisely where the quality of this exhibition arises: Art that does not remain distant but listens into a place and simultaneously transforms it. For art enthusiasts, this presents a remarkable opportunity to experience an international biennale in a local context.

Conclusion: The Manifesta 16 Ruhr at the St. Anna Church Bochum promises a multifaceted artistic experience between architecture, contemporary art, and urban history. Those who want to experience contemporary art in the context of living spaces should definitely visit this exhibition live.