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Art biennial Manifesta revives Germany's postwar churches

DW English · Jun 29, 2026, 12:35 PM

Key takeaways

  • Today, many stand empty, and the contemporary art show Manifesta is giving them a new lease of life.
  • https://p.dw.com/p/5G7p NThe Liebfrauenkirche in Duisburg was consecrated in 1961 and deconsecrated in 2010.
  • Under the title "This is not a church," the main program sees international artists designing commissioned works of art for 12 churches that have fallen out of use in Bochum, Duisburg, Essen and Gelsenkirchen.

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Today, many stand empty, and the contemporary art show Manifesta is giving them a new lease of life.

https://p.dw.com/p/5G7p NThe Liebfrauenkirche in Duisburg was consecrated in 1961 and deconsecrated in 2010. Today, it serves as a cultural and event center — and is part of Manifesta 16 Ruhr Image: Fabian Strauch/Funke Foto Services/IMAGOAdvertisement The 16th edition of Manifesta — the European traveling biennial for contemporary art and urban development — is taking place in the western German Ruhr region this year.

Under the title "This is not a church," the main program sees international artists designing commissioned works of art for 12 churches that have fallen out of use in Bochum, Duisburg, Essen and Gelsenkirchen.

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