about: documenta

Since 2019, the Neue Galerie has been showing a comprehensive permanent exhibition on the history of the major exhibition with the presentation “about: documenta” on the entire upper floor. Here, the museum presents its documenta acquisitions and invites visitors to immerse themselves in the history and future of the institution.

The exhibition opens with a one-hour film collage with footage from all documenta exhibitions. Individual cabinet rooms use selected works of art, photographs, archive material or videos to present the staging and background of the respective documenta. The documenta artworks from the Neue Galerie collection are staged in the central rooms. In the “LAB”, visitors can become active themselves and share their documenta experiences.

The main aim of the permanent exhibition is to make it possible to experience the development of documenta from a local art event to a global discussion platform - without providing a definitive interpretation. Rather, “about: documenta” sees itself as a stimulus to participate in the current and lively debates surrounding documenta.

“about: documenta” is a cooperation between Hessen Kassel Heritage (HKH), documenta und Museum Fridericianum gGmbH and the documenta archiv.