documenta archive

Easy Read

The documenta archive is a big collection.
The employees of the archive have collected many things
related to all the documenta art exhibitions.

A hand writes with a pen on a sheet of paper. Something is already written at the top.
© Reinhild Kassing
There are many cardboard boxes from the documenta archive on shelves. They contain old things from the documenta.
Photo: documenta archiv

For example:

  • Many different reports,

  • photographs,

  • films,

  • information booklets,

  • newspaper articles about documenta,

  • reports about the artists,

  • letters,

  • e-mails

  • and many more things.

All these things together tell the story
of the various documenta art exhibitions.

Auf dem Bildschirm ist ein E-Mail-Zeichen. Der Computer steht auf einem Schreibtisch.
© Reinhild Kassing

An art exhibition is an event
where many different things are shown.
For example:

  • Paintings and pictures

  • or statues.

People can come to see these things.

Two people are looking at art in a museum. One person is in a wheelchair.
© Reinhild Kassing

Artists are people who make works of art, for example:

  • paintings or photographs,

  • statues of stone or wood

  • or music.

A person paints on a picture with a brush. She is holding a color palette in her hand.
© Reinhild Kassing

Arnold Bode founded the documenta archive.
He was:

  • a painter

  • and an art professor at the Kassel College of Art.

Arnold Bode’s idea was to start a great art exhibition in Kassel.
This art exhibition is called: documenta.

To found something means:
Several people meet.
They want to start something new together,
for example:

  • a club,

  • a political party

  • or an institute.

Several people are sitting at a table. They are talking to each other and taking notes.
© Reinhild Kassing

An art professor is a person who knows very much about art.
They usually work at an art college.
That is a special school
where people can learn more about art.

A college of art is a place
where adults can learn many things about:

  • different ways to make art

  • and special artists.

A modern building with lots of glass and concrete. It is the art academy in Kassel.
Kunsthochschule Kassel, North Building

The documenta archive exists since 1961.
Arnold Bode founded it:

  • because he wanted people to remember
    the documenta art exhibitions

  • and because everyone should be able
    to look up important things in the future.

Also, art experts should be able to work with all the things in the archive.

Black and white photo of Arnold Bode. He is standing in an exhibition room and appears to be speaking or explaining something.
Arnold Bode (1955)

The future is for example:

  • tomorrow,

  • next week

  • or next year.

Art experts are people who know much about art.
For example about:

  • different ways to make art

  • and special artists.

Many people are sitting around a large table. They are talking to each other in a meeting.
© Reinhild Kassing

Since the year 1961, the documenta archive has been growing.
More and more new things are collected there.
After each documenta art exhibition,
new things are added to the collection.

Since 2015, the documenta und Museum Fridericianum gGmbH
is in charge of the documenta archive.
The experts of documenta want the whole world
to know about the documenta archive.
And experts from the whole world shall see
how important the archive is for the art scene.

A gGmbH is a special kind of company in Germany.
All the money it earns may only be used for certain things.
These things must be good for all people,
such as a museum.

The art scene is a special group of people.
Members of this group are, for example:

  • artists,

  • art experts

  • or people who sell works of art.