University of Kassel hosts and accompanies documenta 14

The president of the university, Prof. Dr. Reiner Finkeldey, welcomes guests from all over the world to the campus: "The university is both host and partner, and we are very pleased about that. We are partners because many projects accompany, complement and support documenta 14. We are hosts because documenta 14 is represented by several exhibition venues at the university's various locations. We are happy to make buildings available for this purpose that not only stand for the university's successful present, but at the same time tell a lot about the city's eventful history."

For example, the university has given documenta und Museum Fridericianum gGmbH the historic Gießhaus, a former production facility of the Henschel company, which the university uses for events. A work by video artist Angela
Melitopoulos will be shown there. It is not yet known what will be shown in the so-called Zuschneiderei in Gottschalkstraße, a functional building of the former Gottschalk company from the 1970s. Documenta art will also be on display at the Kunsthochschule Kassel, which is part of the university: The d14 includes several experimental buildings by emeritus architecture professor Gernot Minke, located at the south end of the campus. In addition, a work by David Harding is planned for the area surrounding the Kunsthochschule building.

Analysis from a linguistic perspective

The university is also directly involved in the artworks through the project "The Parthenon of Books" by the Argentinean Marta Minujín, who hung a replica of the Athens Parthenon with tens of thousands of banned or once-banned books. Students led by the Kassel Germanists Prof. Dr. Nikola Roßbach and Prof. Dr. Florian Gassner have compiled the world's most comprehensive list of books that were once banned somewhere in the world or still are. The students are also responsible for validating the donated volumes; materials scientists at the university have also tested the plastic cover used to protect the books against the weather.

The university is accompanying documenta 14 with around two dozen projects and series of events. For example, linguists led by Prof. Dr. Andreas Gardt are analyzing statements about the d14 from a linguistic perspective. The series "Relearning from Athens" ties in directly with the d14 working title "Learning from Athens" and discusses crises and crisis consequences in Greece from a political science perspective. A "KrisenKonter-Kiosk" on the Holländischer Platz campus offers a space for discourse on forms of nutrition and food production between raised beds and planting columns. During the summer, the art academy also stages documenta-related events at its Interim exhibition venue at the Kulturbahnhof. Finally, the annual campus festival (June 29) also incorporates documenta aspects. An overview of the events and cultural program can be found in the upcoming issue of the university magazine publik, which will be published on June 1, as well as in the calendar of events on the university website: 

http://www.uni-kassel.de/go/termine
 

Photo 1:
http://www.uni-kassel.de/uni/fileadmin/datas/uni/presse/anhaenge/2017/Tobias_Schneider_BARLO_FOTOGRAFIK.jpg
Caption: The University of Kassel's Holländischer Platz site is located in the north of the city. The documenta 14 is turning its attention to this part of the city in a special way and is also showing artworks on the campus. Photo: Tobias Schneider/BARLO Photography.

Photo 2:
http://www.uni-kassel.de/uni/fileadmin/datas/uni/presse/anhaenge/2017/09_Blafield_HollaendischerPlatz_2010.jpg
Caption: The historic 1837 Foundry House serves as the university's event venue. This summer, a documenta 14 video installation will be shown there. Photo: Blafield.

More images available upon request from the university's press office.

Contact:

Sebastian Mense
University of Kassel
Communications, Press and Public Relations
Tel: +49 561 804-1961
Email: presse[at]uni-kassel[dot]de
www.uni-kassel.de
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