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Ouranophobia 47051

Manifesta 16, Kulturkirche Liebfrauen, Duisburg, Germany, 2026

Abbas Zahedi, Ouranophobia 47051, 2026. Installation view: acoustic sound installation, found organ pipes, modular metal stands, repurposed street cabinets. © Abbas Zahedi and Manifesta 16 Ruhr. Photo by Ivan Erofeev
Abbas Zahedi, Ouranophobia 47051, 2026. Installation view: acoustic sound installation, found organ pipes, modular metal stands, repurposed street cabinets. © Abbas Zahedi and Manifesta 16 Ruhr. Photo by Ivan Erofeev
Abbas Zahedi, Ouranophobia 47051, 2026. Installation views: acoustic sound installation, found organ pipes, modular metal stands, repurposed street cabinets. © Abbas Zahedi and Manifesta 16 Ruhr. Photo by Ivan Erofeev

Exhibition Text

Ouranophobia 47051, 2026
Found organ pipes, modular metal stands, bespoke pneumatic air supply system, repurposed communication cabinets
Dimensions variable

Abbas Zahedi was inspired by the aggressive-looking black organ which sits on a terrace above the nave of Liebfrauenkirche. Built by Franz Breil in 1964, the instrument has been broken for several years and many of its pipes have been damaged or stolen. According to Zahedi, “its silence is symbolic of the disappearance of communal faith and shared experience in our society.” In response, the artist has created a second organ that “brings the old instrument’s voice down to the floor and resists the vertical hierarchy of the church with a horizontal space of shared resonance.” His installation is formed of orphan pipes from disused organs across Europe, dozens of discarded fragments humming as one. It is conceived as an open system which can accommodate new pipes like votive offerings, regardless of their provenance and condition, on an ongoing basis. The pipes are connected to a bespoke pneumatic air supply machine designed and built by Tom Pain, an engineer who specialises in fabricating custom light and sound rigs for music venues. Zahedi’s practice often combines sound and sculpture to develop new rituals for communal grieving. The interior of his henge-like organ becomes a venue for a series of support groups, in which participants spend time listening together and sharing experiences of loss alongside musical and artistic performances.

Audio Documentation

Excerpt of audio produced and mixed by Abbas Zahedi & Tom Pain for Ouranophobia 47051, Manifesta 16, 2026.

Public Programme

20 August 2026 – Ouranophobia 03127
The Pavilion of Culture Kiev, Kyiv, Ukraine

For Manifesta 16 Ruhr, Abbas Zahedi made a sonic installation with dozens of pipes from disused organs across Europe, connected to a bespoke air supply system. The work includes pipes from the organ of St Nicholas Church in Kyiv, which was destroyed by fire in September 2021. Their inclusion is the result of a collaboration with three Kyiv-based organisations: Baby Prod, the Pavilion of Culture, and the National House of Music which held concerts in the same St Nicholas Church. In connection with this project, Zahedi has produced a composition which combines sound from his Manifesta installation with archival recordings of the St Nicholas organ before it was damaged, found in the Suspilne Mediateka. On August 20th, this sonic work, which crosses temporal and spatial borders, will be premiered throughout the day at the Pavilion of Culture in Kyiv.

Credits
This event is organized by the Pavilion of Culture, Kyiv, as part of a collaboration with Manifesta 16 Ruhr. It is the first in a series of events connected to Zahedi’s Manifesta 16 installation.

3 October 2026 – Ouranophobia: Requiem, Abbas Zahedi with Tom Pain
Kulturkirche Liebfrauen, Duisburg, Germany

Abbas Zahedi uses sound and sculpture to create new communal rituals and spaces for public conversation. For Manifesta 16 Ruhr, he has assembled a vast circle of pipes from disused organs across Europe – hundreds of discarded fragments now humming as one.

Marking the exhibition’s closing weekend, the gathering on October 3rd will take place inside Zahedi’s installation. It will begin with an open discussion about the idea of ‘prayer’: what it means across different societies and religions, what it might mean today and in the future. Then, Zahedi and Tom Pain, the artist and engineer who designed the installation’s bespoke air supply system, will conclude the event with a musical performance using the organ.

Credits
Ouranophobia 47051 is supported by Ammodo, the Henry Moore Foundation, Gabriela Galcerán, Gigi Surel, Nissreen Darawish, and Proyectos Ultravioleta (Guatemala City). The public programme is co-commissioned by Knotenpunkt and supported by Duisburg Kontor.

Production Video

When churches are deconsecrated, what purpose do they serve then? “Twist” visits former places of worship across Europe that have been transformed into cultural venues. The program speaks with artists who have breathed new life into these sacred structures and explores the atmosphere and spirit that still inhabit these former churches.

What happens when the Holy Spirit departs from a church? With congregation numbers dwindling, thousands of churches are set to be deconsecrated in the coming years. “Twist” visits deconsecrated churches in Europe that have become cultural spaces and asks about the vibes and spirit that still linger within them. “Twist” visits the Manifesta art biennial, which is utilizing twelve vacant churches in the Ruhr region. In Duisburg’s Liebfrauenkirche, English artist Abbas Zahedi has created an immersive sound installation using discarded organ pipes, forging a new space for community, spirituality, and togetherness.

Extract from a 30 minute film.

Irgendwas mit ARTE und Kultur, 2026.

Press And Media Mentions

2026 – Success Stories: Frieze Artist Award Winners, frieze, issue 260, summer 2026 source
2026 – abbas zahedi | o | ouranaphobia, the voice of the artist 2026 by art_coalition source
2026 – Abbas Zahedi at Manifesta 16: Mourning Europe Collectively, Tobi Müller for Monopol Magazine source
2026 – Manifesta 16 Ruhr Review: We’ll Never Go Back!, Phoebe Blatton for ArtReivew source
2026 – Manifesta 16 Tests the Future of the Church, Ben Livne Weitzman for Freize source
2026 – Manifesta: War Wounds in the Church of Our Lady, Kultur Kenner source
2026 – THIS IS NOT A CHURCH, InArt source
2026 – Manifesta 16 responds to crises in the Ruhr region, Herwig G. Höller for Vol.At source
2026 – Manifesta 16 Ruhr, Tina Sotiriadi for Burlington Contemporary source
2026 – Manifesta Ruhr, Claudia Friedrich for WDR Life Signs podcast source
2026 – Manifesta makes a case for site-specific biennials…, Kimberly Bradley for Monocle source

Production Credits

  • Manifesta 16 Creative Mediators: Michael Kurtz and Henry Meyric Hughes
  • Production coordinator: Zaida Violan 
  • Concept design: in collaboration with Yelta Kom 
  • Design and fabrication of stands: in collaboration with Wendelin Kammermeier and Mara Meerwein  
  • Engineering, design and fabrication of air supply system: in collaboration with Tom Pain 
  • Research and development support: Yasiin Zahedi 

Pipes from the organ of St Nicholas Church in Kyiv – destroyed by fire in September 2021 – form the founding contribution to Zahedi’s system. Their inclusion here is the result of a collaboration with three Kyiv-based organisations: Baby Prod, the Pavilion of Culture, and the National House of Music which held concerts in St Nicholas Church. The public programme includes a satellite event at the Pavilion of Culture in Kyiv. 

Financial and legal responsibility for the loan and safe return of the Kyiv pipes has been taken personally by the artist. 

Supported by the Henry Moore Foundation, Gabriela Galcerán, Gigi Surel, Nissreen Darawish, and ProyectosUltravioleta (Guatemala City). The public programme is co-commissioned by Knotenpunkt. 

Further information can be found on the Manifesta 16 website source