“The Troubadour” by Ari Benjamin Meyers travels through the Ruhr area

As part of Uncanny Shifts, an exhibition by Urbane Künste Ruhr for the Ruhrtriennale 2026, Ari Benjamin Meyers is creating the project The Troubadour. The project is a co-production between Urbane Künste Ruhr and Manifesta 16 Ruhr.

The Troubadour, performed by British-Romani singer-songwriter and actor Riah Knight, will travel through the Ruhr Area for one month (from 10 Aug to 10 Sept) – from Bochum to Dortmund, from Duisburg to Essen. Accompanied by an assistant, the Juggler, the Troubadour figure will meet people, exchange stories, wander around and find her way using public transport while searching for places to stay and spend time.

She will play music as she goes, in concert halls and clubs as well as town squares and parks. Her performances will combine songs composed for the project by Ari Benjamin Meyers with new material she will write during her travels. Inspired by the travelling balladeers of the Middle Ages, this one-month project is both a durational performance and a social experiment. Conversations, hospitality and shared experiences will give rise to an ever-expanding repertoire of songs and tales. How will this ‘unknown traveller’ be treated in each town she visits? What kind of music will her journey through the region produce?

The Troubadour’s Welcome
Date: Wednesday 12 August 2026
Time: 7-9 pm
Meeting point: Hans-Schalla-Platz at Schauspielhaus Bochum, 44789 Bochum
Organiser: Manifesta 16 Ruhr

Meet the Troubadour
Date: Sunday 23 August 2026
Time: 4.30-6.30 pm
Meeting point: Dietrich-Keuning-Haus, Leopoldstr. 50–58, 44147 Dortmund
Organiser: Urbane Künste Ruhr

The Troubadour’s Farewell
Date: Thursday, 10 September 2026
Time: 7-9 pm
Meeting point: Christ-König-Kirche, Steinring 32, 44789 Bochum
Organiser: Manifesta 16 Ruhr

Troubadour, The Epilogue
Date: Saturday, 19 September 2026
Time: 7-9 pm
Meeting point: Evangelische Stadtkirche Sankt Petri, Westenhellweg / Petrikirchhof 1, 44137 Dortmund, as part of the DEW21 Museum Night Dortmund
Organisers: Urbane Künste Ruhr and Ev. Stadtkirche Sankt Petri

Ari Benjamin Meyers – The Troubadour
Performance The Troubadour: Riah Knight
Assistenz / The Juggler: Christian Löffel

Curated by Britta Peters (Urbane Künste Ruhr) together with Michael Kurtz (Manifesta 16 Ruhr)