Art
Documenta 15 and the Power of Productive Disruption
The most fruitfully jarring artistic disruptions at documenta 15 unsettle their own settings, stealthily intervening in traditional German institutions or landmarks.
Germany
News
The Odd History of Germany's "Unicorn" Fossil
Dubbed “one of the worst fossil reconstructions in history,” the so-called “Magdeburg Unicorn” again making rounds on the internet.
News
Europe’s Extreme Heat Waves Bring Art to a Standstill
A floating art project can’t reach Documenta because the Weser River is too low and museums in the UK shutter galleries to keep workers and collections cool.
News
Documenta Director Resigns Amid Antisemitism Row
Her resignation comes a week after artist Hito Steyerl withdrew artwork from the exhibition and consultant Meron Mendel also stepped down.
News
Museum Removes Damien Hirst's Fly-Zapping Installation After Animal Rights Group Complaint
“Killing animals has nothing to do with art, it just shows the arrogance of people who literally will stop at nothing for their own interests,” a PETA representative said.
News
Documenta Controversy Continues as Hito Steyerl Withdraws Work
The artist cited the organizers' handling of antisemitism allegations and the ensuing fallout. Meron Mendel, head of the Anne Frank Educational Institute in Frankfurt, stepped down from his position as a consultant for the exhibition.
News
Queer Arts Space Cancels Documenta Programming After Harassment Incidents
The New Delhi-based gallery and performance space Party Office wants Documenta to offer a public apology after artists reported incidents of racism and transphobic harassment in Kassel.
Opinion
The Risks That Lurk in Europe's “Scramble for Decolonization”
As the global consensus on restitution passes the tipping point, some skepticism towards these sudden, improbable Damascene conversions towards restitution is probably justified.
News
Documenta Covers Artwork Criticized for Antisemitic Depictions
The Indonesian collective behind the work, Taring Padi, denied antisemitic intent and issued an apology, adding that it was the first time it was shown in “a European and German context.”
News
140+ Documenta Artists and Organizers Denounce “Racist Attacks” Following Vandalism
The German contemporary art show has been plagued by accusations of antisemitism for its inclusion of artists who denounce Israel’s oppression of Palestinians.
News
Forensic Architecture Finds Police Failings in 2020 Hanau Mass Shooting
The report, while focused on the racist attack in Germany, comes as shootings proliferate at an alarming rate in the US.
News
Vandals Graffiti Documenta Exhibition Space of Palestinian Artist Group
The show's curators called it "a politically motivated threat" toward the artist collective The Question of Funding, members of whom have been the target of antisemitism accusations.