- documenta archiv
As of today, the documenta archiv is online with a newly redesigned website. The relaunch is part of the reorientation of the visual identity of the documenta und Museum Fridericianum gGmbH and visually underscores the archive’s affiliation with the parent institution. Developed by the design studio Our Polite Society (OPS), the new design concept focuses on accessibility, clear communication, and a user-friendly presentation of the diverse content.
As an art- and cultural-historical repository of knowledge, the documenta archiv preserves both analogue and digital holdings spanning around 70 years of documenta history. The collections include curatorial concept papers, artistic project sketches, prints or artworks, and contain correspondence, press clippings, and artists’ books. Among the most significant groups of source materials are, for example, the estates of documenta protagonists and the performance archive Die Schwarzen Lade.
A special highlight of the relaunch is the new light table feature on the homepage: users are greeted by changing, curated archival materials that playfully provide insights into the diversity and depth of the holdings. This feature invites visitors to rediscover the collection and to explore the archive’s contents intuitively.
Andreas Hoffmann, Managing Director of documenta and Museum Fridericianum gGmbH: “The new website of the documenta archiv places the institution’s collections at the center and makes clear the unique opportunity it offers researchers and interested audiences to engage with the history, impact, and reception of documenta. At the same time, the relaunch of the new website marks another milestone in the digitization process of the documenta und Museum Fridericianum gGmbH. The overarching visual concept developed by the design studio Our Polite Society conveys both the affiliation and the independence of the documenta archiv, founded by Arnold Bode in 1961. With this relaunch, documenta und Museum Fridericianum gGmbH sends a strong signal for open, accessible, and contemporary communication of its unique archival holdings, while at the same time strengthening the institution’s digital infrastructure.”
The redesign places a particular focus on visual and linguistic accessibility, for example through content in Easy Language, optimized contrast, and the integration of German Sign Language (DGS) and International Sign Language (ISL). The concept was developed in close collaboration with stakeholders from the field of accessibility.
Birgitta Coers, Director of the documenta archiv: “For several years, the documenta archiv has been engaged in a comprehensive transformation process toward a modern information and research institution that must address changing interests and expectations in both analog and digital spaces. Refreshing the website is an important step in increasing the digital visibility of the significant documenta holdings, estates, and artworks. Not least, the online presence stands for a vibrant art and cultural archive and for the documenta archiv’s diverse program of events and research.”
A distinct color palette and selected design elements facilitate orientation, while the overarching visual proximity to the graphic identity of documenta und Museum Fridericianum gGmbH underscores the sense of belonging within the institution.
Studio OPS: “The new visual identity of the documenta archiv builds on the overarching design system of the documenta family of brands. At the core of the visual presence is a variable typeface in which each institution within documenta is assigned its own distinct font style. The documenta archiv’s font style is characterized by geometric letterforms—a formal language that was central to the Bauhaus movement and served as an important point of reference in the formative years of documenta.”
Team
Concept and design: Our Polite Society (Dodo Voelkl, Laslo Strong, Matthias Kreutzer)
Type design and production: Our Polite Society and Jan Egbers
Project management and web development: Our Polite Society
Design assistance: Einar Zottermann
Project management: Michael Gärtner, documenta archiv
