New professorship on the history and significance of documenta

The professorship has been filled by the Berlin art historian Dr. Dorothea von Hantelmann. In research and teaching, she will work primarily with the holdings of the Kassel documenta archive. The professorship will also help to make the documenta theme more visible in the four years leading up to the next exhibition.

"This professorship is a great opportunity to connect documenta with its archive on the one hand and the Kunsthochschule and the university on the other," explained Prof. Christian Philipp Müller, rector of the Kunsthochschule. "documenta and documenta archive are a unique locational advantage of the Kunsthochschule. We want to use that."

The Vice President of the University, Prof. Dr. Claudia Brinker-von der Heyde said, "The impetus for documenta originated from today's Kunsthochschule Kassel; the University, the Kunsthochschule and its predecessor institutions have been connected with documenta in a close and multifaceted way since the first show in 1955 to date. It is therefore obvious and logical to focus the scientific preparation of the world's most important show for contemporary art with a professorship at the exhibition site in Kassel. In Dorothea von Hantelmann, we have gained a distinguished art historian whose research interests fit exactly into our desired profile." The documenta professorship will be created in the coming winter semester as a visiting professorship for an initial period of two years. It is financed by funds from the Higher Education Pact 2020 and is based at the University of Kassel's School of Art.

Von Hantelmann (43) was most recently a research associate at the Collaborative Research Center "Aesthetic Experience in the Sign of the Dissolution of Artistic Boundaries" at Freie Universität Berlin. Her research focuses on contemporary art and aesthetics as well as the history and social function of museums and exhibitions. A native of Hamburg, she studied art history at the FU Berlin, where she received her doctorate in 2006. She is currently working on a postdoctoral thesis on the social significance of exhibitions in historical change. Her publications include "How to Do Things with Art" (Zurich 2010) and "Notes on the Exhibition" in the "Notebook" series for documenta 13 (Kassel 2012).    

As part of her professorship, von Hantelmann plans to work closely with the documenta archive of the city of Kassel and use the archival materials for research and teaching. "The documenta archive is a treasure trove. It holds unique sources that can be used to introduce students to an examination of the history, reception and staging of the exhibition series, and at the same time provide information about the significance of documenta as a statement of our times," explained the art historian. The core of the archive consists of the files and materials of the documenta organization. In addition, the documenta archive houses one of Germany's most important special libraries for the art of the 20th and 21st centuries and a media archive with 30,000 photos and around 2,000 videos.

"We are delighted with the university's commitment to documenta as Kassel's outstanding trademark," said Kassel's Lord Mayor and Head of the Department of Culture Bertram Hilgen. He added that the university was also demonstrating its recognition of the importance of the documenta archive for scientific research. This will make it possible to bring the "treasure" of the documenta archive more clearly to the light of day.

But the professorship will also give documenta itself a stronger presence between the exhibitions that take place every five years. Von Hantelmann plans events for the general public in addition to university events. "We want to show what is available in terms of material and research results, make it accessible and discuss it with citizens and artists," the art historian explained.

The managing director of documenta-GmbH Bernd Leifeld emphasized, "The establishment of a documenta professorship is a first piece of the mosaic in the many years of effort to make documenta more permanent as an institution, also between exhibitions, and thus to establish it. The new documenta professorship can be an impetus to join all forces to make people aware of the documenta's singular position alongside the individual exhibitions in the world of more than 170 art biennials and to secure it through cooperation with other institutions in the documenta city and beyond."

documenta is the world's most important show of contemporary art. It takes place every five years in Kassel. The first exhibition in 1955 was initiated by Arnold Bode, a professor at the then Werkakademie, a predecessor of the Kunsthochschule.

Picture by Dr. Dorothea von Hantelmann at

www.uni-kassel.de/uni/fileadmin/datas/uni/presse/anhaenge/2013/dvh1.jpg

Image: v. Hantelmann

Contact:

Dr. Dorothea von Hantelmann

E-mail: d.v.hantelmann@fu-berlin.de

Sebastian Mense

University of Kassel

Communication, Press and Public Relations

Phone: +49 561 804 2474

E-mail: mense@uni-kassel.de