Politics And Performance Take Centre Stage At Documenta 14 In Athens

For the first time, the prestigious contemporary art exhibition Documenta 14 opened in a city other than Kassel, Germany, where it has been held every five years since 1955. The two locations of Documenta are at the heart of artistic director Adam Szymczyk’s concept.

Titled Learning from Athens, the exhibition wants viewers to in fact “unlearn what we know” and to “immerse ourselves in the darkness of not knowing instead of pretending to know enough in advance,” Szymczyk said.

Set against the backdrop of Greece’s social and economic woes, displacement, colonialism, violence and protest are among Documenta 14’s central themes.

In Athens, the Documenta team is collaborating with around 40 local institutions, including the Benaki Museum, the Archaeological Museum of Piraeus, the Numismatic Museum and as the First Cemetery of Athens where the American artist Pope.L will be performing his Whispering Campaign (2016-17) in which five performers will roam the city whispering their observations to the public.

Visitors to Documenta 14 at EMST are greeted by a large container of olives titled Payment of Greek Debt to Germany with Olives and Art by Marta Minujin, an explicit reference to the Greek financial crisis.

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Photo Credit: taken by Stathis Mamalakis of Sergio Zevallos’ performance, 2016