Urgent Action – Preserving Cultural Heritage at the documenta archiv. Studio Exhibition

A new acquisition featuring valuable artist books and correspondence has arrived at the documenta archive—the restoration team is always on hand to assess the condition of the items and check for any paper-eating fish that might have taken up residence. Or, a very real scenario in these times: heavy rain threatens to flood the storage rooms. Thanks to the emergency plan, the rest of the archive team is also prepared to quickly bring the unique collections spanning 70 years of documenta history to safety. And how do we actually protect our holdings—sensitive photos and films—from the record-breaking temperatures of the summer?

On the occasion of European Restoration Day, the final Studio Exhibition of the year explores what it means for the documenta archiv to preserve material cultural heritage for future generations. Under the theme “Preserving Cultural Heritage,” the restoration department invites visitors to discover its rich collection through the lens of conservation and to gain a deeper understanding of the daily challenges, working methods, instances of damage, and their remediation.

The exhibition showcases the full range of restoration work at the documenta archiv: from preserving audiovisual media and handling traditional paper archival materials to working with paintings and three-dimensional objects—such as Harry Kramer’s delicate wire sculptures or Arnold Bode’s furniture designs—and it highlights the people behind the scenes, whose work often remains unseen.

This clearly illustrates a diverse range of tasks and an attractive professional field that brings together various disciplines. A curiosity about chemical and physical processes is just as much a part of it as knowledge of art history. Every object, every material, every medium raises its own questions that must be addressed through investigation, experimentation, and documentation—and, on a case-by-case basis, retouching or reconstruction.

The studio exhibition highlights specific cases from restoration practice while also opening up a new perspective. Ethical decisions are always at stake: the focus is on preserving history, materiality, and memory—and thus on the future of the documenta legacy.

Curatorial talk at the opening with Melissa Köhler and Arlett Sauermann: September 29, 2026, 11 a.m.

Welcome: Birgitta Coers

Concept and exhibition design: Melissa Köhler and Arlett Sauermann

Collaboration: Michael Gärtner, Natalie Schmidt, Susanne Rübsam, and with the kind support of the IT department and building services