- documenta
The New Gallery of Art in Shanghai presents the exhibition “The Myth of documenta – Arnold Bode and his Heirs,” showcasing the inventor of documenta as one of the major protagonists of modern and contemporary art in Europe after 1945.
In cooperation with the CAFA Art Museum in Beijing and the Institute for Cultural and Media Management at Freie Universität Berlin, the exhibition covers 400 square meters and presents the multifaceted figure of Arnold Bode as artist, designer, exhibition organizer, urban planner, visionary, and founder of documenta. This is achieved through original artworks and extensive materials from the documenta archive.
Particular emphasis is placed on Bode as an artist, with his diverse body of work represented by paintings, prints, drawings, and design sketches. Photographs, handwritten documents, and film recordings illustrate the curatorial concept of the first three documenta exhibitions organized by Bode. These shows, created amid the ruins and temporary structures of postwar Kassel, brought modern art back to Germany through an international large-scale exhibition. The exhibition design of this “reconstruction” follows the basic principles of Bode’s original staging.
The more than 60-year success story of this world exhibition of contemporary art is traced through specially produced films that highlight the key developmental stages of documenta. A special documenta parcours focuses on innovations in art education and mediation at the Kassel-based exhibition, presenting photographic typologies of visitors and providing an overview of the graphic design of the last 13 documenta exhibitions through original catalogues and publications.