Documenta Art Exhibition

IAS Current Affairs

1 year ago

Source: Indian Express
GS I: Art and Culture

Overview

Why in the News?

Cultural theorist and curator Ranjit Hoskote announced his resignation from the Documenta Finding Committee.

This came after Israeli artist Bracha Lichtenberg Ettinger resigned and asked for a postponement of the proceedings because of the conflict in Gaza.
Following charges of “anti-Semitism” and showing support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which opposes Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, Hoskote resigned.
In 2019, Hoskote joined a BDS India petition in opposition to a talk about Zionism and Hindutva.

Renowned for its inclusive and non-commercial approach, Documenta is a major art exhibition that takes place in Kassel, Germany, every five years.
Spending more than $40 million, it draws attention from around the world and includes artists who aren’t quite well-known in Europe but are nonetheless honoured for their significant contributions.
The goal of the exhibition is to present outstanding contemporary art rather than being as market-driven as biennales.

A team of international specialists selects artists to apply to be the Artistic Director of the upcoming Documenta edition.
The committee selects the suggested concepts whose format it deems most promising.
Following the recent resignations, Gong Yan, Simon Njami, Kathrin Rhomberg, and María Inés Rodríguez are among the members of the Finding Committee for Documenta 16 in 2027.

Documenta was established in 1955 to reestablish Germany’s international relations following World War II.
Because of its early ties to the Nazis, it has drawn criticism.
‘Documenta: Politics and Art’, an exhibition from 2021, disclosed that certain organizers of the inaugural Documenta had ties to the Nazi Party, SA, or SS.
Anti-Semitic sensitivity has been a persistent issue, as seen by claims that several recent editions contained anti-Semitic imagery, which sparked debates and resignations.

Different editions of Documenta have been accused of anti-Semitic sentiment.
Some artworks from Documenta 15 (2022) were removed when accusations that they had anti-Semitic iconography surfaced.
The display drew criticism for inciting anti-Israel sentiment, and an expert panel said that Documenta 15 had turned into an “echo chamber” for both overt and covert anti-Semitic remarks about Israel.

Daily Current Affairs: Click Here