Documenta is being held in Kassel since 1955. When Arnold Bode started this exhibition, his idea was to revive contemporary art in Germany, which had seen dark days during the earlier Nazi regime. Following the success of the first exhibition, which was part of the Bundesgartenschau, it was decided to continue organising Documenta. In the following decades, Documenta has been well-established and has become a great platform giving voice to different global issues.
Some works in the Neue Neue Gallerie reflected on the oppressive aspects of colonialism, conflicts between the indigenous people and their government. Other works in Fridericianum talked about the issues of migration, borders and so on. The medium was different in every case - painting, artworks, sculptures, installations, photographs, etc., but was powerful in portraying and conveying strong messages about different socio-political issues that have engulfed the world.
The most powerful work for me was the ‘Parthenon of Books’ by Marta Minujín. It was visually captivating, with its location right in the centre of Friedrichplatz and its dimensions of 19.5 × 29.5 × 65.5 m. Even more impressive was the layering of meaning and messages that the work evoked. Made with about 1,00,000 books, which were banned previously or even now, the work raises voice against the ban of books and censorship across the world. It stood at the place where books were burned during the Nazi period and also many books from the adjacent library in Fridericianum were lost during the subsequent bombing by the allies. Using Parthenon as a symbol, it simultaneously upholds the values of democracy. A novel concept of co-creation was introduced in its creation, while people were asked to donate books for the work. Also the values of sharing, giving back to the society were espoused when the books were returned to the public at the end of Documenta. It also highlighted the temporality of monuments.
Throughout the exhibition, art came across as a powerful tool highlighting socio-political-economic-environmental and other concerns worldwide. But my short time at Documenta also made me feel that art was not always accessible the way it was meant to be. Though artist intentions to touch, experience art were at times clearly visible, these interactions were restricted. As there is growing discussion about making art and heritage accessible, it was strange to find these barriers in connecting with contemporary art.
Another question that remained unanswered is how has Documenta changed Kassel? When talking to someone local, I heard that locals don’t participate in Documenta, the town crawls back into its shell once the event is over. Could more efforts be made to make it more inclusive? It is to be hoped that as the relations between art, society, heritage, economy grow stronger, more of these integrations will be seen. Let’s see how the next Documenta unfolds.