So this is a 100 days coming to an end. The last days of documenta are marked by some performances, which took place in the first weeks and have been rescheduled for this last one. I have to admit that I was and am quite sceptical about many aspects of this show, beginning with the hideous labels and some strange curatiorial decisions, which weaken a great deal of works.
For example when I look at the marble tent by Rebecca Belmore, which has been transferred from Athens to Kassel. You can argue if the location on Weinberg is the best choice. But surely the plinth-like base is weakening the Piece; many visitors like to sit half in the tent and get a photo taken, which is fine, but they sit like on a bench, comfortably without being close to the floor. But the whole point of a tent is that you need to get all the way down to the ground…And considering that the idea of the marble tent is connected with migration and poor, transient living conditions the tent needs to be ground level…
However meanwhile I have used some time and care looking around and discovered some works, which can be passed by easily without being noticed like Mounira Al Solhs work close to the glass pavillons or Nilima Sheikhs piece in Neue Galerie.
So: don’t judge a book by its cover, but look for some interesting quotes, even though you don’t fall in love with the story…
