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Henrike Naumann Dies at 41 as Germany Plans to Realize Her Vision at the Venice Biennale

Curators confirm the exhibition she devised with Sung Tieu will open on schedule under her completed concept.

Overview

  • Naumann’s family said she died in Berlin after a cancer diagnosis that came far too late, a loss later confirmed by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen.
  • Curator Kathleen Reinhardt said Naumann finalized the German Pavilion concept in recent weeks, and the presentation will proceed as planned in May.
  • The pavilion, co-conceived with Vietnamese German artist Sung Tieu, is slated to open during the Biennale’s run from May 9 to November 22, 2026.
  • Naumann was known for installations using furniture, domestic objects, video and sound to interrogate post‑reunification culture and right‑wing radicalism, including works referencing the NSU.
  • She is survived by her husband, Clemens Villinger, and their one‑year‑old daughter, with a final message posted on her website framing the pavilion as part of her legacy.