 On July 17, 2014, Piene died of a heart attack in a taxi on the way to ready for the opening of his Sky Art event at Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, Germany.His survivors included his wife Elizabeth Goldring (a poet and artist who collaborated with him), as well as four children, a stepdaughter, and five grandchildren.In 1957, Piene and Heinz Mack founded the group ZERO, consisting of artists who wanted to redefine art after World War II.