Kassel in metamorphosis

Only 30 days to go: exactly one month before documenta starts, Kassel is slowly but surely embarking on its metamorphosis. The organizers announced the 32 locations last week. But until visitors find out exactly what will be happening inside the buildings of the world art exhibition, they can already scout out the outdoor venues and observe the preparations.

As always, one of the main players at documenta fifteen is the Fridericianum - dubbed as Fridskul during the event. Its pillars have been shining in black for a few weeks now, delivering political messages on topics such as sustainability or cohesion. According to the creator, Romanian artist Dan Perjovschi, the whole thing is supposed to have a childlike effect, like a school blackboard.

The C&A building on Opernplatz (photo) will soon make room for an oversized painted banner from the Indonesian Institute for Civic Culture. The Fulda will soon house a houseboat made from a demolished roof truss - it will get there from Berlin, using pure muscle power and renewable energies. The Karlswiese will become a showplace for garbage: a walk-in installation made of garbage will point out the transport of scrap metal and textiles to southern countries and thus the destruction of the environment. Sustainability also continues in the Nordstadtpark: A summer stage made of clay and other ecological materials is being created there.

Lumbung is the motto of documenta fifteen, an Indonesian term chosen for the event by the curating artist collective Ruangrupa from Jakarta. It stands for community, sharing, generosity and sustainability. The horizontal newsletter, which is to come about at Rainer-Dierichs-Platz, also ties in with this.

Watching the outdoor setup is sure to be an exciting weekend activity for all Kassel residents - the outdoor exhibits are also available to ticketless individuals. With little amuse-gueules like the announcement of mixed-media sculptures in the church of St. Kunigundis »made of, among other things, human remains,« the organizers are making it hard for even the most art-averse to avoid documenta fifteen.