In the next 100 days, hundreds of thousands of art fans will make a pilgrimage to Kassel. What can visitors expect and where exactly can art be seen? The most important questions and answers.
Kassel is preparing for hundreds of thousands of art fans who will make a pilgrimage to the northern Hessian city over the next 100 days. We answer the most important questions about visiting the world art exhibition:
When does the documenta take place?
The world’s most important exhibition for contemporary art after the Venice Biennale takes place every five years and lasts 100 days. The 15th edition starts on Saturday and ends on September 25th. The regular opening times are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
What can visitors expect?
The artist collective Ruangrupa, which is the artistic director, wants to focus on Indonesian Lumbung architecture. In the island state, “lumbung” is the word for a communal rice barn in which the surplus harvest is stored for the benefit of the community. The artist collective from Indonesia wants to transfer this tradition of sharing to the world art exhibition in Kassel. The general director of the documenta, Sabine Schormann, recently announced that visitors can expect a diverse, experimental show based on collective processes. “You will be able to experience documenta fifteen as a sensual exhibition visit with – among other things – painting, installations, films or even music and performance.”
Where can you see art?
A total of 32 exhibition locations are open in the Kassel districts of Mitte, Nordstadt and Bettenhausen as well as on and on the Fulda with adjacent areas such as Karlsaue or Hafen. In addition to the classic venues such as the Museum Fridericianum and the documenta hall, there is a boat rental, a former company site and an old indoor pool.
By the way, the documenta fifteen can also be heard – and has been since April. “lumbung Radio” is an open internet radio consisting of an intermunicipal network of different radio stations and audio practices. The station broadcasts music and art independent of the time zone and in several languages. According to the organizers, it will broadcast “around the clock from all over the world to the whole world during the 100 days of documenta fifteen and hopefully also afterwards”.
Which artists are there?
The curatorial team selected 14 collectives, organizations and institutions as well as 54 artists as participants. These include the late US conceptual artist Jimmie Durham (1940-2021), from whom a posthumous contribution will be shown. Durham has exhibited at the Venice Biennale several times and was present at the thirteenth edition of the documenta in 2012. Also represented is Richard Bell, considered one of Australia’s most political contemporary painters. Among the participants is the Danish organization Trampoline House, which supports refugees with legal advice and language courses, and the Britto Arts Trust group from Bangladesh, which strives to avoid waste.
What is planned for the opening?
After the official opening with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Hesse’s Prime Minister Boris Rhein and the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, Arif Havas Oegroseno, all exhibition locations are open to the public. The day will be accompanied by concerts, film screenings, open meetings and workshops, among other things. Live music and parties are planned at the exhibition venues on Saturday evening. Anyone with a valid ticket can come. There will also be a celebration on Friedrichsplatz, to which everyone without tickets is invited.
What does the supporting program of the documenta look like?
The accompanying program is varied and ranges from workshops and guided tours to series of talks and parties. Every second weekend of the month, three-day “meydans” with various events take place, where, in Ruangrupa’s words, “there should be discussions, arguments or celebrations”. These include, for example, readings and discussion rounds as well as a world music festival and a food and flea market. At the last Meydan from September 9th to 11th, the experiences of documenta fifteen will be reflected on together with the guests of the show in workshops and lectures.
What do the tickets cost?
A day ticket costs 27 euros – reduced 19 euros. The card is also valid for journeys on local public transport. Long-term tickets cost 125 euros. According to the organizers, one euro of every ticket sold goes to long-term sustainability projects in Germany and Indonesia: including a reforestation campaign in the Reinhardswald near Kassel and a project for the ecological enrichment of oil palm and rubber plantations in the Jambi region on Sumatra. If you want to enable people with less money to visit the documenta, you can donate a solidarity ticket. Tickets are available on the documenta website and at the box office on site.
What is the best way to get to the documenta?
The Intercity-Express (ICE) for long-distance travel stops at Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe station, regional trains at Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe station and at Kassel Hauptbahnhof. From there, ticket holders can take buses and trains to all exhibition locations free of charge. If you are coming by car, the organizers recommend parking your car in the Park-and-Ride car park on the Schwanenwiese and using public transport from there. (dpa)