The Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (Ifa), which oversees the German Pavilion at the Biennale, described Naumann as “an extraordinary artist and personality” whose work has left a significant mark on contemporary art. “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,” the institute said.
Born in 1984, Naumann’s work often explored the social and cultural ramifications of German reunification in 1990, following the fall of the Berlin Wall. Her practice later expanded to address broader global consequences of the Cold War. She was recognized for translating complex political histories into installations using everyday objects and mass-produced furniture. In a 2023 interview with Bomb Magazine, she described her creative process: “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.”
Naumann studied costume and stage design at Dresden’s Academy of Fine Arts and scenography in Potsdam. Her first solo exhibition in the United States was held in 2022 at the SculptureCenter in New York. She had recently been appointed as a professor at the Hamburg University of Fine Arts.
Her installations, often composed of repurposed furniture and found objects, were celebrated for their ability to combine aesthetic rigor with incisive political commentary, making her one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary German art.