Venice 2026: German artists ask for thought!

Venice 2026: German artists ask for thought!

Venedig, Italien - The upcoming artbiennale in Venice, the oldest forum for contemporary visual arts, will again present a variety of artists from all over the world in 2024. The 60th international art exhibition, which lasts until the end of November 2024, is under the motto "Foreigner's Everywhere - Strangers everywhere". With over 300 invited artists, it promises an extensive program.

The German Pavilion is played in 2026 by the artists Henrike Naumann and Sung Tieu, who deal with topics such as historical responsibility and individual and collective power of action. Planned by curator Kathleen Reinhardt, the exhibition will focus on the reflection and critical questioning of social, bureaucratic and social order systems from May 9, 2026. The tensions between the past, present and the future are particularly careful.

henrike naumann and sung tieu

Henrike Naumann, born in 1984 in Zwickau (GDR), lives and works in Berlin. In her installations, she combines furniture and design with socio -political questions. Her work reflects political opinions and everyday aesthetics, creating immersive experiences that encourage the viewer to think. Naumann exhibited in important institutions such as the MoMA in Warsaw and at the Ghetto Biennale in Haiti.

sung Tieu, 1987 in Hải Dương, Vietnam, born, takes up the aftermath of the Cold War and colonial interdependencies in her work. It combines various media, including sculpture, sound and photography, to create complex narrative structures. Her art deals intensively with topics such as migration and institutional violence that she presented in important exhibitions worldwide.

The German Pavilion and other highlights

The German Pavilion will also be designed in 2024 under the supervision of the IFA - Institute for Area foreign relationships. Particular attention is paid to the monument for an unknown person of Ersan Mondtag, who is presented together with future visions by Yael Bartana. This selection is part of the decision made by the jury in 2025. In the previous Biennale it was already noticeable that the artistic direction of the pavilions is increasingly looking for interdisciplinary and global perspectives.

In addition, Austria's pavilion 2024 is played by choreographer Florentina Holzinger, who causes a sensation with her “Seaworld Venice” project. Holzinger has also recently celebrated success with "A Year Without Summer" on the Berlin Volksbühne. This variety of approaches and topics promises to make Biennale 2024 an unforgettable event.

The indigenous artist Archie Moore was awarded the golden lion for the best pavilion, which underlines the international relevance of the Biennale. The exhibition illuminates the interactions between art and society and shows how artists treat burning topics worldwide with innovative forms of expression. The participation of countries such as Australia and Brazil also brings fresh perspectives to the Biennale.

Overall, it can be said that the artbiennale in Venice, with its extensive selection of artists and topics, is both a meeting of the creative spirits and a platform for debates about social and political questions. The participation of Henrike Naumann and Sung Tieu in the German Pavilion is another example of the growing interest in interdisciplinary and critical approaches in contemporary art.

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