ArtReview editors highlight the must-see national pavilions at the 61st Venice Biennale, running from 9 May to 22 November 2026. Notable presentations include Austria's Florentina Holzinger turning her pavilion into a toilet and sewage-treatment plant with naked performers, and Germany's pavilion featuring works by Sung Tieu and the late Henrike Naumann, who died in February 2026, exploring East German memory and conceptual minimalism.
The article matters because it offers a curated preview of the Biennale's most provocative and politically charged installations, reflecting broader themes of environmental degradation, feminist critique, and post-socialist identity. Holzinger's shocking performance art and Naumann's posthumous dioramas underscore how national pavilions continue to serve as platforms for challenging institutional and historical narratives.