Warm-up for Manifesta 16 Ruhr #upstjosef

From October 2025 to February 2026, we redesigned the area around the former St. Josef Church in Gelsenkirchen-Ückendorf through the #UPSTJOSEF workshop series, in collaboration with local residents, students, and volunteers. In monthly upcycling workshops, we repurposed old pallets and recycled wood into tables, benches, soccer goals, and ping-pong tables. Meanwhile, the BallerZ initiative used the church as a basketball court where children and teens from the neighborhood could play every week. The goal was to create a gathering place that would be developed with and by the neighborhood. To conclude the project, we transformed the church into a marketplace where upcycled goods and handmade art were sold. The project was part of the warm-up program for Manifesta 16 Ruhr, which will take place in the Ruhr region in the summer of 2026.