A trip to Kassel’s documenta fifteen: Its decentralised, “anti-authoritarian collective” approach and what was missing.

Due to the long-lasting and draining ‘pandemic sleep’, the year 2022 coincides in time three international art exhibitions that usually happen in separate years; The 59th Venice Biennale, Manifesta 14 – this year set in Prishtina, Kosovo and last but not least Documenta fifteen, hosted by the German city of Kassel since 1955. The last one, usually taking place every five years, has gained a lot of attention due to its innovative format and decentralised curatorial strategies. However, this year’s edition has not gone without criticism and heated international debates. But let us start from the beginning. 

A bit of history

Back in 1955, the Kassel painter and academy professor Arnold Bode endeavoured to bring Germany back into dialogue with the rest of the world after the end of World War II. The first documenta was a retrospective of works from major movements such as Fauvism, Expressionism, Cubism, Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), Futurism and internationally known individuals such as Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst, Hans Arp, Henri Matisse, Wassily Kandinsky and Henry Moore. Since then, “each documenta takes its character from the ideas and concept of its Art Director and is therefore not only a forum for current trends in contemporary art, but a place where innovative and standards-setting exhibition concepts are trialled”.

The unique idea behind this year’s edition was proposed and applied by the curating ruangrupa – a collective founded in the year 2000 and based in Jakarta, Indonesia. They have structured documenta’s exhibitions upon the values and ideas of lumburg (literal translation “rice barn”). The word describes a communal building in rural Indonesia where a community’s harvest is stored and distributed according to jointly determined criteria in the future. As for documenta fifteen, the concept of lumburg emphasises the principles behind collectivity, resource building and equitable distribution. Art pieces and events presented at documenta put an emphasis on creators from the Global South whose working ways are based on alternative community-oriented models of sustainability in ecological, social and economic terms. The structure of the event allows the viewer to look at the global map ‘upside down’, take a critical look at the systems we live in and eventually begin to decolonize the mind. 

Visiting documenta

Upon arriving, the recommended starting point would be Friedrichsplatz located just in the centre of Kassel with an easy public transport access from both Central Station and Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe (long distance Railway Station). Here you can get your tickets, leave your luggage, grab a coffee, a small snack and begin delving into the exciting world of art.

For those expecting to see traditionally curated exhibitions, divided by themes, featuring finished pieces by individuals or collectives, the monumental Fridericianum is the place to be. Here, I also found some of my ‘documenta’s favourites’, among others, a long-term collaborative project between European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture and OFF-Biennale Budapest presenting the untold past and the unfolding present of Roma artists through their artworks and storytelling. One of the artists in the collection – Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, is currently also showing her works at the Polish Pavilion at Venice Biennale. Another artist included in this group exhibition, Selma Selman – a multidisciplinary artist, internationally recognised for her paintings on scrap metal – is simultaneously showing her works here and at Manifesta 14. 

Another exhibition worth taking a closer look is The Black Archives – a unique collection of books, documents, and artefacts, which are the legacy of Black Dutch writers, scientists, and activists. Additionally, on a hot summer day, or rainy autumn afternoon, the basement of Fridricianum will give you shelter and a moment of peace surrounded by a hybrid work by Saodat Ismailova. The piece invokes the spirits of Chilltan who are a sacred, invisible collective of forty female entities that create a mysterious circle of special beings with supernatural powers. 

For a slight scenery change, in the nearby documenta Halle you can enjoy a communal skate-park and the Lumbung Press. If you have some more time to spare, here I would also recommend watching Football Kommando by the fascinating Ramon Film Productions Wakaliwood from Uganda. 

All of the other central locations (marked yellow on the documenta map) can be explored by foot. The exciting part of the entire festival, is that apart from the main exhibitions, located in museums or galleries alike, a big number of the locations merge with the city’s landscape and architecture. Once walking around, you will be able to enjoy art in a stylish hotel space (with a mesmerising sound piece by MADEYOULOOK), a church (showcasing the works by Haiti based Atis Rezistans), a castle tower (providing a moment of rest surrounded by the sounds of Nguyen Trish Thi) as well as various public spaces, including the underground passage (with the work of Black Quantum Futurism), a greenhouse (featuring the participatory project by Más Arte Más Accioón) and many many more.

For a full experience I would recommend spending three full days strolling around the city of Kassel. Some of the locations, especially those placed farther from the centre, showcase communal projects and workshop spaces activated during the year. For those visitors who are not directly involved in art making those types of spaces might be less interesting than for those directly involved within the art field and curious about the collaborative and participatory processes. One of my favourites, from those types of locations was the Sandershaus standing near the former Haferkakaofabrik and featuring the communal space built by Serigrafistas queer. 

The missing piece

Unfortunately, this years documenta, despite pushing forward ideas of capitalistic critique and post-colonial discourses received more than one accusation of exhibiting antisemitic artworks. One of the biggest scandals in that matter, was the outdoor installation People’s Justice by the Indonesian artist collective Taring Padi. It showed a doomsday illustration featuring, among many figures, a soldier with a pig’s face and a Star of David, as well as a man with side-curls, sharp teeth and SS runes on his hat. After the work was finally taken down, the artist collective released an official statement, apologising for their insensitivity, claiming however that the piece was commenting on a specific part of Indonesian history and didn’t intend to offend the Jewish community. Nevertheless the scandal left a gloomy cloud over the organisers of the festival, making me question the overly decentralised, “anti-authoritarian collective” approach.

Seeing works from all different geo-political regions and contexts was a new and refreshing take on the globalised world we live in. However, in the context of the persisting Russian aggression and war in Ukraine, I was disappointed in the lack of works addressing Russian imperialism and their authoritarian politics. Apart from two rather small projects (both located around the Central Stations); comic like floor drawings by Dan Perjovschi and a sound installation Tiñla alaysa, añlamasan (where its participants attempt to learn Tatar – the language spoken in Tatarstan, a Muslim indigenous land colonised by the Moscow state 400 years ago), I didn’t see the urgency to address the long lasting imperialist mindset of Russia, that in my opinion is so urgent to process and decolonize. To my biggest disappointment, the only visible sign of support for Ukraine and Ukrainians was an ‘anti-war’ pin sold for five euros at the documenta cafe with an overdone slogan ‘No Putin, No War’. I would wish that a prestigious event like documenta, located very geographically closely to Ukraine, would find a more engaging and relevant way of supporting a neighbouring country at war for democracy. 

Before you go

All in all, documenta fifteen is a great way of spending a longer weekend or short holiday away from your computer screen. The festival runs until the 25th of September and is open 7 days a week. No matter your interests, you will definitely find subjects and aesthetics that touch you and at the same time trigger critical thinking and socio-political engagement.