Henrike Naumann, one of the artists selected to represent Germany at this year’s Venice Biennale, has died.
The Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations, Ifa), the organisation that oversees the German Pavilion, said in a statement that it “mourns the loss of Henrike Naumann, an extraordinary artist and personality, who passed away on 14 February after a short, serious illness”. A statement on the artist’s website says that “Henrike passed away… surrounded by her family and friends in Berlin after a cancer diagnosis that came far too late”.
Ifa adds: “Naumann, together with Sung Tieu, is representing Germany at this year's 61st Venice Biennale (9 May-22 November). The curator is Kathleen Reinhardt. This exhibition marks one of the most important milestones in Naumann's artistic career. It was crucial for her to conceptually complete the work so that it could be realised in Venice according to her artistic vision.” Ifa had not responded to a request for further comment at the time of publication.
Born in 1984, Naumann's artistic practice centred on German reunification in 1990, following the fall of the Berlin Wall, and its consequences. “Her ability to respond to specific geopolitical dynamics with a strong aesthetic visual language and to conceive of art as a bridge between cultures was evident time and again,” Ifa adds. Her practice later expanded to consider the impact of the Cold War globally.
In an interview with Bomb magazine in 2023, Naumann outlined her practice and techniques, saying: “While researching and reading texts on political topics, I go to flea markets and estate sales to find objects that transport the connections I establish and the insights I get while diving into daily news and deeper academic analysis. So my artistic practice is about interpreting politics while looking at designed objects.”
Bomb added that “Naumann is known for creating installations from mass-produced furniture and objects; their quirky forms are intended to resound with political rumination.” Naumann often sourced furniture items from Kleinanzeigen, the German equivalent of Craigslist.
Naumann studied costume and stage design at Dresden’s Academy of Fine Arts and scenography in Potsdam. Her first solo exhibition in the US was held in 2022 at the SculptureCenter in New York; she had also recently taken up a professorship post at the Hamburg University of Fine Arts.