Curious one

21.07.2026-04.10.2026

Manifesta 16 Ruhr

‘This is not a church’

St. Marien, Essen, Germany

Creative Mediators: René Block and Leonie Herweg

Photo documentation: Silviu Guiman

Special Thanks for tremendous help in production: Ars Magna

Since the roof has been opened,

Curious one has entered

jointly with empathy.

Responding to the physical aspects of space,

dancing through pouring sunbeams

percieving its surroundings.

Situated in transition,

Jumping above the ground level,

inhabiting thought through form.

Merging in and warping out:

The fragile cut-out has folded

forming its attitude towards

a potentiality to emerge

Adventurous choice

with a long luminous tail.

Curious one, 2026

Aluminium, industrial acrylics

360×200×140cm

Amanda Ziemele's Curious one responds directly to its surroundings. Made of painted aluminium. the work moves between painting and sculpture, where colour, form and space are closely connected. The surface is painted with industrial acrylics like those used in nearby car repair workshops. This choice links the work to its local context, bringing materials and techniques from everyday to urban environments into the space. Rather than representing something fixed, the work appears as a shifting presence. it seems to enter the space, reacting to light, movement and the viewer's position. Its shapes unfold and bend, suggesting a form of transition - something that is still becoming. At the same time, it shows a decision to adapt to the obstacles, evolving its bodily structure that protects oneself as a shield, keeping its fragility safe from the turbulence and confusion orbiting around the clock. Ziemele describes her approach as a dialogue between think and making. The work develops through its material and context, allowing relationships to emerge rather than being predetermined.