These shoes were made for walking...
but now they seem to have quietly retired to a corner of Kassel's main station. what originated in the profane need to save costs, namely the occupation of otherwise abandonned, roofed space by artists and their work, has arrived in Germany's provincial mainstream: additionally to the renovated, beautified southern wing, the northen wing is being ennobled these days by the presence of art objects.
the 13th documenta has opened its gates to those involved in the business of art, the plebeian opening is scheduled for saturday, 09.06.2012.
visual art seems to lead a truly schizophrenic existence: it is present in its materiality (if it's not dependent on a working electricity grid) and it has a verbal existance. latter depends on whatever the priviledged few who experience the art work firsthand talk/write about it publicly. what do we know about what the 750.000 visitors thought and made of the art exhibited in 2007, at the 12th documenta? nothing, really.
that was the most interesting sensation yesterday, seeing and otherwise experiencing the objects firsthand and for the first time. the real thing rather than the mostly awful project descriptions circulated.
there is no single, overwhelming project, but the ensemble seems to work fine. i have to admit that i particularly enjoyed an exhibition not related to documenta but in immediate proximity to it: the caricatura. in many ways a perfect attunement and very helpful for intellectual calibration. what better way to begin an art show with the following cartoon: a waiter is waiting on a customer seated at a table. the customer asks, looking at the rather curious heap on the plate presented to him: "what is this?" and the waiter replies: "art! i wouldn't know what else it could be."
morino - 7. Jun, 11:01
