Every 5 years Kassel undergoes a miracoulous transformation from country-town to a place short term Metropolis feeling. All those arty people in their black clothes with fancy scarfs flood the city with busy looks, seaching for art placed in well known and ’new‘ spaces…

Before the opening Jason Farago, a New York Times Journalist wrote an article in which Kassel was being described as unlovely city north of Frankfurt. Thanks to him I learned a new word: unlovely. Since then I wonder, what a lovely City might be to him: New York? Berlin? Heidelberg?

However, back to Kassel and to documenta…it is opened and now everybody tries to define, what the show is about.  Well the fist thing you can say it is mixed and leaves the Viewer with mixed feelings; some new locations have been discovered and feed the hungry eye with new experiences. Some pieces have been placed in the special exhibition spaces of existing Museums such as Muesum of Sepulcral Culture, or the Hessian County Museum. Unfortunately you can get the feeling that the curators got a homework like: choose some works suiting to the theme of the museum, which makes it like a boring exercise without space for associations. Missed opportunities in many ways!

My favourite so far: the Video of Roee Rosen in Bellevue!

Oh and look out for the labels in most of the spaces! I guess some kind of fresh impression was aimed atd there, inspired by a mid term presentation in a bad foundation course in art&design. Thanks for this fresh and unprofessional approach!