Zwickau artists illuminate the German Pavilion in Venice 2026!

Zwickau artists illuminate the German Pavilion in Venice 2026!

Venedig, Italien - henrike naumann and sung tieu will make the German pavilion on the 61st artbianal in Venice. This important event takes place from May 10 to September 23, 2026 and is curated by Kathleen Reinhardt on behalf of the Institute for Foreign Relations (IFA) reports the film university . Both artists are known for their profound analysis of current social issues and address regulatory systems and power structures in their work.

henrike Naumann focuses on the processing of right -wing ideologies in East Germany. With her installations, she combines political narrative, everyday aesthetics and culture of remembrance. Sung Tieu, on the other hand, deals with conceptual art, sculpture and sound installation, and questioning social balance of power, bureaucracies and postcolonial identity structures. Kathryn Reinhardt describes the perspectives of the two artists as promising and emphasizes the investigation of historical responsibility.

The Biennale di Venezia and the German Pavilion

The Biennale di Venezia is one of the oldest and most renowned international art exhibitions, which has been taking place every two years since 1895. It includes national pavilions, including the German Pavilion, which was built in 1909 notes wikipedia . Germany was represented right from the start and has won several golden lions for the best national pavilion in the past four decades.

The German pavilion has an eventful history, also shaped by redesign during the National Socialists. Sizes like Gerhard Richter and Joseph Beuys are among the important artists who have exhibited there. The selection commission for the curator of the pavilion had eight members in 2025 who made the decision on the presentation.

The artists in focus

Henrike Naumann, born in 1984 in Zwickau, lives and works in Berlin. Her immersive art combines furniture, objects and multimedia elements, and she reflects on radicalization mechanisms and personal experiences. It was awarded several prices, including the Karl Schmidt-Rottluff scholarship and the Max Pechstein. At the start of her current research, she is dedicated to the topic of "art and war".

sung Tieu, born in 1987 in Hải Dương, Vietnam, addressed the aftermath of the Cold War and colonial entanglements in her work. It uses various media, including sculptures, sound and photography. She also exhibited internationally, including at the KW Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin and at various Biennals worldwide.

The selection of the two artists for this prestigious event not only underlines their individual talents, but also the topic of historical responsibility and collective power of action, which will be in the foreground in the German Pavilion 2026 The IFA .