"How Do We Think About History" (Lecture Notes)

dOCUMENTA

dOCUMENTA is an exhibition of modern and contemporary art that occurs every five years. It was founded by artist Arnold Bode in Kassel, Germany in 1955 in an attempt to banish the German cultural darkness that Hitler and Nazism had enforced. The first exhibition featured artwork from European celebrated artists who had made a significant contribution to the development of art such as the Spanish painter, Pablo Picasso.

The exhibition which has a limit of 100 days,  has now become a focal point for the ideological discussion surrounding contemporary art and techniques.
The main space for the exhibition is The Kunsthalle Fridericianum however outdoor exhibits are possible in Karlsaue Park.

The artwork that now features at dOCUMENTA does predominately draw on moments of historical significance and artistic exploration of these and similar themes.

An example of this can be seen with the 2007 exhibition by Martha Rosler which came with the following statement;

"The conceit of the series centres on the many molehills visible in the public parks, holes which remind us of the buried history in the now-green slave labour sites and surrounding backyard bunkers"

This lecture interested me as an exploration of how international art festivals can become a way of attempting to focus on history and historical conflict in a more contemporary and "safe" setting. It enables artists to explore themes from theirs or other cultures in a way that means something to them as well as making it possible for others to learn about historical and political issues without having to independently research them.