for Manifesta 16 Ruhr
THIS IS NOT A GAME
18–22 June 2026 · Ruhr · Join us for a series of playful happenings – everyone’s invited!
It is a research and design project by the Architectural Thinking School for Children, created for the Manifesta 16 Ruhr under the title This is not a Church. The project explores how play can reintroduce meaning, collectivity, and civic life into abandoned sacred spaces.
The project will culminate in a series of game-based street happenings taking place inside and around disused churches in the Ruhr Area. Teenagers from Lisbon and the Ruhr region will design and lead new thematic street games that respond to contemporary social and cultural questions, transforming former churches into temporary stages for collective action.
By returning play to spaces once defined by ritual, This Is Not a Game proposes play as a universal and inclusive medium for reactivating heritage, fostering dialogue between generations and communities, and imagining new forms of shared public life.
The project will culminate in a series of game-based street happenings taking place inside and around disused churches in the Ruhr Area. Teenagers from Lisbon and the Ruhr region will design and lead new thematic street games that respond to contemporary social and cultural questions, transforming former churches into temporary stages for collective action.
By returning play to spaces once defined by ritual, This Is Not a Game proposes play as a universal and inclusive medium for reactivating heritage, fostering dialogue between generations and communities, and imagining new forms of shared public life.
Research and Design
The research was conducted by students aged 10-15 as part of the Architectural Thinking School's educational program.
Field Trip to Lisbon Churches
Analyzing Lisbon Churches
Modelling Ruhr Churches
Spray Painting Models
Writing
Team
Anton Itskov-Vinnik, David Vysotskyi, Diana Bagaeva, Filipp Kovalevich, Gleb Likhodievski, Kira Zakhlestina, Maria Parkhomenko, Mark Shalaev, Polina Krasilnikova, Taisiya Paulovna Sieiro dos Santos, Tommy Trotsenko, Yulianna Borisenko, Zoya Zonova
Curated by: Alexander Novikov, Elena Karpilova
Curated by: Alexander Novikov, Elena Karpilova
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Contact
novikov@aschool.by
karpilova@aschool.by
karpilova@aschool.by
Copyright © 2025 ATSFC Association – The Architectural Thinking School for Children