What's With The Documenta-15 Scandal?

 So, to begin with....Documenta is a art-show held in Kassel (northern most city of Hessen).  It runs from mid-June to the end of September.  It's held every five years, and around the region of Kassel....it's a big deal (tons of tourists and upscale intellectual events).  

This was Documenta-15.....which you don't need to worry about the next one until 2027.

So what happened to trigger the scandal?

Some artists showed up with anti-sematic (anti-Jew) 'hints' in their art....plain and simple.

Various folks had the job of review, and preventing something like this.  You get the impression that either they were sleeping, or just didn't grasp politicalized 'jabs' in art.

The federal and state government folks?  All hyped-up and they want absolute control established before the next event in five years.

Naturally, the artists have hinted that government control is not in the best interest of art.  

A lot of regulation appearing by 2027?  This is the odd expectation of things to come.  You probably will see a thousand works of modern art....going through some audit by three or four 'inspectors', and a dozen-odd pieces being refused entry because of violation of rule-x or rule-y.  

So, this is the funny part of the story.  Back in the mid-1950s....in order to show recovery from the evil Nazi period.....re-introducing modern art (the contemporized stuff)....was a big deal.  So Documenta was started up.

Key part of the show?   It was to show recovery from the 'evil darkness' of the Nazi era.  'Evil darkness'?  Well....that meant art that the Nazis created which was cartoonish in nature, but slamming the typical Jew.  

I've seen the scandal art that got everyone upset, and would suggest it was representations of the 1930s cartoon art.  To be honest, a lot of what existed in the 1930s and war-period....has dissolved away and it's rare they are shown in any form.  So, there probably ought to be a reminder of what existed, but this scandal business has made that nearly impossible.....with everyone trying blame each other for who allowed this to occur.  

Yeah, on the scandal scale (one to ten)....I'd put it at a 'five'....at best, but Germans seem to thrive on any scandal.  

Presently?  I would make a guess that at least ten artists are sitting in some dark room....trying to imagine how they could sneak a Nazi symbol or two into the next art show.