City of Play

The Rhine-Ruhr region, Germany's largest agglomeration, is characterised by contrasts and cultural diversity. City of Play picks up on this special dynamic and accompanies the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games with a large-scale art and culture project. An interactive network of installations, performances and urban interventions will be created in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Duisburg and Essen, combining sport, art and science. Activities such as bicycle parades, performative boat tours and city explorations invite people to actively participate and experience new forms of urban coexistence - playfully, creatively and collaboratively.

Team

ComeTogether Projekt e.V.

Funded by: MKW NRW

In Mülheim an der Ruhr, the historic railway bridge with its empty railway arches, the cycle highway, the town hall market and the Ruhr bridge will become an interactive art and experience landscape. Local and international artists are redesigning urban spaces - with large-scale murals, floor paintings, performative walks and participatory installations and actions. Visitors can become active themselves, help shape and play and experience the city from new perspectives.

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  • Loud, colourful and diverse, the City of Play celebrates its parade from Duisburg to Essen. A parade by bike will travel along the cycle highway through the Ruhr region. Mobile sound systems, colour interventions and artistically designed bikes accompany the procession. Together we conquer the road and burn fat instead of oil.  The final route is still being planned. More information will follow.  Origami boat trip (start 08 June 2025, arrival 21 June 2025)

  • The City of Play travels across the Rhine and Ruhr from Mülheim to Duisburg. Artist Frank Bölter will fold a life-size origami boat and sail along the course of the river. It will cross the Ruhr to Duisburg's inner harbour. 

  • The paper boat is part of a three-part sculptural series. It will be folded together with the public in Mülheim.

  • Artist Coco Bergholm stages slogans and quotes on urban landmarks along the railway line between Duisburg, Mülheim an der Ruhr and Essen.

The artist OX from France creates artistic interventions on billboards and buildings.