The 61st Venice Biennale opens – the Krupp Foundation supports the exhibition catalogue for the German Pavilion
The 61st Venice Biennale opens on 9 May. As part of its engagement in the field of art and culture, the Krupp Foundation is delighted to support the publication accompanying the exhibition project entitled “Ruin” by the two artists Henrike Naumann (* 1984 – † 2026) and Sung Tieu (*1987) in the German Pavilion. The project is curated by Kathleen Reinhardt.
“In ‘Ruin’, the German Pavilion becomes a space in which physical and social structures, German ideologies, and lived biographies tangibly overlap, bringing architecture, history, and psychology into productive tension. The exhibition’s title riffs on the word’s multiple associations. While the English word ‘ruin’ refers to architectural and physical remnants, the German term ‘Ruin’ signifies a state of collapse—economic, social, or moral.”, states the German Pavilion’s press release.
In the artworks created specifically for the pavilion, Henrike Naumann and Sung Tieu draw on research into the GDR and the period following 1990. They demonstrate how historical ruptures and gaps continue to have an impact right up to today’s globalised present. The architecture and history of the German Pavilion itself are also incorporated into the works works, thus becoming a mirror of social dynamics from both the past and the present.
The 160-page publication “Ruin” is published by DISTANZ and, in addition to exhibition views, features texts by Bakri Bakhit, Clemens Villinger, Sabeth Buchmann, Kathleen Reinhardt and Kerstin Stakemeier.
The Venice Biennale runs from 9 May to 22 November 2026. It is the oldest international art exhibition and has been held every two years since 1895.