Venice Art Biennale: First details about the German Pavilion

Until her sudden death a few weeks ago, Naumann had been working on her contribution to the German Pavilion and was still able to complete it, the statement said. Her studio team is now working on implementing her artistic vision.

Research on the GDR and reunification

It was said that Naumann and Tieu had resorted to “research on the GDR and the transformation period after reunification in 1990”. The works are intended to show how “historical breaks and gaps continue to have an impact in political, social and architectural structures”.

The title is intended to play with associations. While the English word “ruin” also refers to architectural and material remains, the German word “ruin” refers to a state of collapse, whether economic, social or moral, the announcement said. The typography of the title “Ruin” was taken from graffiti that marked the GDR’s last pavilion at the Biennale.

The Venice Art Biennale, founded in 1895, is the world’s oldest forum for contemporary visual art. Artists such as Gerhard Richter and Joseph Beuys have performed at the German Pavilion in the past. In 2024 it was designed by the Israeli artist Yael Bartana and the Berlin theater director Ersan Mondtag.