d For documenta (13) – Our alphabetical Knowledge Guide

It’s an exhibition of modern and contemporary art hosted every five years by German town Kassel. Founded by artist, teacher and curator Arnold Bode in 1955 as part of the Bundesgartenschau (Federal Horticultural Show) the documenta was as an attempt to bring Germany up to speed with modern art again. [source]

After the jump our alphabetical knowledge guide and one video of the official documenta (13) Video Glossary. “A series of one-minute recorded entries by participants in dOCUMENTA (13) who are asked to explore in their own ways a selection of key terms.”

(Video by dOCUMENTA13channel)

Here’s everything you need to know about it – in alphabetical order:

A – Arnold Bode, the inventor
B – Bundesgartenschau, the event that happened in Kassel when the documenta was invented.
C – Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, the director of documenta 13
D – documenta, the name comes from the word Latin word “documentum” (= lesson)
E – edition: 13th in 2012
F- Fridericianum: the fixed venue since 1955
G – Gauck, Joachim: Germnay’s federal president who opened the documenta
H – Hypnotic Show: One of the special events at the documenta
I – Ivekovic, Sanja: a featured artist
J – June 21, 2010: the sculpture “Idee di Pietra” by Giuseppe Penone was installed – for 2012
K – Kassel, the hosting town
L – lenght: around 4 months (100 days)
M – money, around 38 million euros in 2007
N – New Gallery: one of the venues
O – Objects damaged during the Lebanese Civil War (1975–90) are presented in 2012
P – people, for 754,301 visitors in 2007
Q – quest: Brad Pitt spent two days in Kassel to check out the event (2012)
R – Hessen Ministry of Higher Education, Research and the Arts: federal partner
S – stamp: a special one for the documenta was designed
T – title: “Collapse and Recovery” (in 2012)
U – url: The official website (see below)
V – visual identity: a very own for each documenta
W – weather, should better be good since many art pieces are presented under the open sky
X – x-ing, for the various art forms meeting at the documenta
Y – years: every 5 years a documenta opens
Z – Zuse, Konrad: a presented artist

Additional reading:
The official website
A Gallery of all venues