Plagiarism Dispute Emerges Over Installation At Manifesta 16 In Germany
5July 7, 2026
An installation by Turkish-German artist Nasan Tur atManifesta16, has come under scrutiny for allegations ofplagiarism, levied by sculptor Dorothee Bielfeld, who believes that it bears similarities to one of her past works.
Tur’s installation, titled “Elevation(2026),” features upturned church pews placed inside St. Gertrud Church in the German city of Essen. As reported byARTnews, Bielfeld—who is based in Bochum—has askedManifestato take down the installation, stating that it resembles her work titled “Aufrichten” (Raising Up) from 16 years ago.
Bielfeld told German outlet Waz she was “absolutely devastated” to see Tur’s “Elevation” at Manifesta and that the issue of plagiarism centers on the use of reclaimed wood pews placed on their side inside a church. These are core elements in her work “Aufrichten,”which comprises 29 pews, each five meters in length. Her installation was displayed at the church of Christ-König-Kirche in Bochum, and created as part of Ruhr.2010: a campaign that accompanied Germany’s Ruhr region being selected as the first whole region (instead of a single city) to serve as a European Capital of Culture. Related Hedwig Fijen to Depart as Founding Director of Manifesta Manifesta 16 Releases Full List of Participating Artists
Tur has rejected Bielfeld’s claims and told ARTnews that since Bielfeld “did not respond to a proposal for a face-to-face meeting between Manifesta and the curators—and I would have been happy to attend as well—but instead sent me a threatening letter via her lawyer, I have now had to engage a lawyer myself to protect myself.”
A spokesperson for Manifesta issued a press statement, noting that although there were “superficial” similarities between the two installations, the biennial supported the assessment of curators Leonie Herweg and René Block, who, “without prejudice,” judged that Tur’s work was artistically independent of Bielfeld’s.
The latest edition of Manifesta, the nomadic European biennial, is on view until October 4 this year, examining the legacy of post-war religious buildings. The biennial occupies 12 former churches across the cities of Duisburg, Essen, Gelsenkirchen, and Bochum.