Documenta (13), Kassel

It's been awhile since I thought about art let alone spent hours looking at it. However, today I was lucky enough to have the chance to go to one of the most interesting art exhibitions that exists.

Documenta began in 1955. It was "an attempt to re-establish culture and the visual arts as a primary focus of society, and to reconnect Germany with the field of international art at the time, after WW2." 

One of the main focuses of the exhibition is the relationship between art and society. For me this is important, it is so easy to be carried away with grand ideas and relate them back to the world around us.

Kassel, Germany was the main stage for this event but in the past years it has expanded to other
cities.

strange sculpture of a man in a tower in Kassel

The exhibition is very site oriented and in Kassel there are many areas that are constructed solely for Documenta.

Thomas Bayrle's work that is made of 100s of photocopies of aeroplanes

Sound and light installation by Nalini Malani

So far my favourite area has been the Karslaue gardens, where artworks are scattered along green paths and around beautiful streams and trees.

Australian, Fiona Hall's work Fall Prey 2009-12

Fall Prey 2009-12, Fiona Hall

Transition 2012, Gabriel Lester

Dad inspecting Tea Party Pavilion by Rosemaire Trockel. It housed her 2012 work "Ten attempts for one scuplture"

"Ten attempts for one scuplture"

Karlsaue Gardens

Time/Bank installation in the Karlsaue Gardens by Julieta Aranda and Anton Vidokle

Song Dong's work outside of the Orangerie Doing Nothing Garden 2010-12

A part of Ida Applebroog's work Diary entry 1975 and props from the ongoing performance at Documenta (13)

Another favourite in Friedrichplatz by Goshka Macuga. Of what is, that it is; of what is not, that it is not 1, 2012.

Macuga's digital collage, a mash of images from Kabul (where Documenta is also taking place)

 The piece that struck me most today was by Amy Balkin from San Francisco. Amy's piece in collaboration with Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev (Documenta artistic director) was based on a series of correspondences between Carolyn and 186 UNESCO countries. The letters invite the countries to aid in nominating the Earth's atmosphere to the UNESCO World Heritage List on an emergency basis.

The correspondence was displayed in several languages, including postcards for visitors to fill out and send in support to their respective countries.

We have one more day to tour the huge grounds of the exhibition. I know we won't get everything in, there is only so much one brain can take each day.