70 Jahre Documenta

In the organizer's words:

Short films to mark the anniversary

In 1955, the first Documenta took place in Kassel, today the world's most important exhibition of contemporary art. Kunst unserer Zeit I: Skulptur (FRG 1959, 14′, Alfred Ehrhardt) shows modern sculptures from Documenta II, set up for the first time in the parklands of the Aue, in front of white brick walls and the Orangerie, which was destroyed in the war, accompanied by the futuristic electro sounds of Oskar Sala. Art of Our Time II: Painting (FRG 1960, 14′, Alfred Ehrhardt) presents the painting of Documenta II as an exuberant festival of color, reminds us of war and apocalyptic horror (Picasso) and presents Jackson Pollock's action painting for the first time. Documenta (FRG 1968, 11′, Dietrich Lehmstedt, Jürgen Siecke) is characterized by the year of departure 1968: the significantly slimmed-down 4th Documenta is put together by a 24-member documenta council. The artist, dancer and hairdresser Harry Kramer taught in Kassel. Together with Wolfgang Ramsbott, he created poetic-experimental short films whose surrealist inspiration came from Paris. Die Stadt (1956, 15′) observes Kramer's disturbing iron and wire sculptures in the context of a nameless metropolis.

Defénse 58-24 (1958, 11′) shows surreal deserted landscapes in which Kramer's kinetic objects made of found materials seem to observe each other, set to music with gruff noise collages by Stockhausen student Cornelius Cardew. Schleuse (1962, 10′) deliberately places kinetic wire sculptures in a lonely landscape, occasionally allowing the image to jump into the negative. Nam June Paik (1962, 3′) shows Paik's Cologne performance as part of Karlheinz Stockhausen's piece "Originals". Sackgasse (1963, 9′) places a dancer (Harry Kramer) in front of the apparatus of an industrial decor that defies the narcissistic movements. Ramsbott shoots Anfangszeiten (1965, 13′) with his Hamburg film students: Christian Bau, Jürgen Drese, Holger Meins, Harald Ortlieb and Rainer Sellmer cycle in a queue through Hamburg, overcoming obstacles. As they cycle, they each hold a large banner whose syllables together make up a film title.

Guests: Thomas Tode, Christian Bau

Price information:

6 Euro reduced (for members of the Kinemathek)