This Will Not End Well

The Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin hosts This Will Not End Well, a retrospective of Nan Goldin’s work, from November 23rd, 2024, to April 6th, 2025. This marks the first comprehensive presentation of the acclaimed artist’s oeuvre in Germany. Installed in six custom-designed buildings by architect Hala Wardé, the exhibition creates a “village” that reflects the unique spirit of Goldin’s creations.

The exhibition features pivotal works, including The Ballad of Sexual Dependency (1981–2022), a photographic slideshow documenting Goldin’s bohemian inner circle, and Memory Lost (2019–2021), a haunting exploration of addiction and recovery. The Other Side (1992–2021) celebrates the lives of Goldin’s trans friends, offering a deeply personal perspective on identity and resilience.

Goldin’s art blends intimacy with social commentary, capturing the human experience through a lens of raw authenticity. Her distinctive use of slideshows and eclectic soundtracks forms the backbone of her artistic practice, evolving over decades to include moving images, voices, and archival material.

The exhibition’s title, This Will Not End Well, reflects Goldin’s ironic humor and unshakable spirit. As curator Fredrik Liew notes, her work conveys a deep joie de vivre, even when confronting darker themes.

Part of an international tour, the exhibition originated at Moderna Museet in Stockholm, traveled to the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, and will continue to Milan and Paris. Accompanying the retrospective is a richly illustrated catalogue and a limited-edition book series reproducing Goldin’s slideshows and multimedia projects, published by Steidl Verlag.

For Goldin, Berlin holds a special place. Describing the city as her spiritual home, she recalls, “The best years of my life were here.” This sentiment resonates throughout the exhibition, making it a must-see event for art lovers.