On the occasion of the 55th International Art Exhibition — Venice Biennale, German national pavilion curator Susanne Gaensheimer continues a critical examination of the meaning of  traditional forms of “national representation” in “national pavilions”. Departing from a reflection on how the production of art in Germany today is defined by various forms of collaboration between artists from all over the world, and by an intellectual and cultural climate that is profoundly international, the curator proposes that the nationally defined format be treated as an open concept. This way, Germany can be understood as an active participant in a complex, worldwide network.

With this in mind, Gaensheimer invited Romuald Karmakar, Santu Mofokeng, Dayanita Singh and Ai Weiwei — four international artists from four different countries — to participate in the German pavilion. In their works —  which vary greatly in terms of form  and focus —, these artists challenge the notion of the unambiguous biography and of the specific national or cultural identity. They also explore the dissolution of particular concepts of identity precipitated by modernisation and the globalisation of their respective realities.