Manifesta is an European Nomadic Biennial focused on social change through art and architecture. For this edition, Sara Bichão presented a new commissioned work at the church Markuskirche, in Essen. This venue was curated by Michael Kurtz and Henry Meyric Hughes.

“(…) Sara Bichão grew up by the sea in Lisbon and draws on the materiality of the coastline: driftwood, knotted ropes, washes of paint and stretches of fabric. Her sculptures are like vessels imbued with a sense of motion, often resembling boats or planes. To make them, she works intuitively with the things around her, which include household items, pieces of rubbish and gifts from loved ones. Bichão’s sculpture in Markuskirche is the result of a month-long residency in the Ruhr Area and is composed of objects scavenged from the church’s back rooms. Suspended above benches and below expanses of grey-blue glass, it seems to glide through the air. The assemblage could be seen as a symbol of the building as a whole: another vessel, loaded with emotional significance, irreversible knots and material baggage, moving forward into an uncertain future.”

Excerpt of the intro text by Michael Kurtz, 2026

With the kind support of Portuguese Republic – Culture, Youth and Sport / Directorate-General for the Arts.

© Manifesta 16 Ruhr / Rainer Schlautmann

Article in WELTKUNST, the art magazine of DIE ZEIT — WK Manifesta 256, June 2026