BERLIN — One would think that after the collective outcry over the Berlin Biennale’s extravagantly political tendencies, documenta artistic director Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev might have waited for the dust to settle before announcing that her exhibition, opening a little more than five weeks from now, would also have a political focus and highlight non-art components. Not the case.
On Thursday, the American-born curator announced that documenta 13 would take a keen focus on viewpoints critical of capitalism. Christov-Bakargiev — a veteran of MoMA P.S.1, whiere she initiated “Greater New York” — noted that the exhibition will question “the persistent belief in economic growth,” and will be “driven by a holistic a non-logo-centric vision.” Though the Kassel-based exhibition has consistently taken a fairly wide-ranging view of art, Christov-Bakargiev said that documenta 13 will also include archival and research-based projects as well as, “experiments in the field of art, politics, literature, philosophy and science.” In total, 150 artists representing 55 countries have been invited to participate.
Also new for this year, the exhibition will extend its reach beyond its traditional trio of venues: the Fridericianum, the documenta-Halle, and the Neue Galerie. New spaces are to include a cinema, a hotel, a disused railway station, a park, the “Ständehaus,” and the “Hugenottenhaus.” According to tradition, the participating artists will not be announced officially until the press conference on June 6. However, some have already arrived to begin preparations.
Lest the kind of outcry that has greeting the Berlin Biennale be continued at documenta, Christov-Bakaragiev emphasized that her plans will also include more tradional mediums like painting, sculpture, photography, film, performance, installation, and audio. As such, her vision ultimately seems to point towards a holistic representation of current artistic practices from both inside and outside the traditional studio space.