Artist for German Venice pavilion: Naumann died

The artist Henrike Naumann, who was selected just a few months ago to co-design the German Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Art Biennale, has died. The artist, who was born in Zwickau in 1984, died "after being diagnosed with cancer far too late" surrounded by family and friends in Berlin, her family announced.

The Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations, which is responsible for the German Pavilion, also confirmed Naumann's death. Her death leaves a "painful gap". "With Henrike Naumann, we are not only losing an important representative of contemporary German art, but also a warm-hearted, alert and highly committed personality."

Art with furniture and design

Naumann and the Vietnamese-German artist Sung Tieu were selected last year to design the German Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Art Biennale, which is scheduled to run from May 9 to November 22 and is considered the most important presentation of contemporary art alongside the documenta in Kassel. It was important to Naumann to complete and finalize the work conceptually so that it could be realized according to her artistic vision, it was said.

In her artistic work, Naumann had used furniture and design to talk about society and politics. For this, she had received numerous awards and been honored with exhibitions around the world.