Page 104 - ARTE!Brasileiros #40

EXCLUSION, ART AND THE PLACE OF SPEECH ENGLISH VERSION

in different ways. This is what believes Marina Fokidis, from the and offered support in a concrete manner for many institutions
curatorial team: the show “provided a chance for the flourishing as well. In the same way, the perspective of having documenta
of the desire and the will to keep on fighting.” 14 in Athens afforded the chance for the flourishing of the desire
This is the first time that the documenta, created in 1955, was and the will to keep on fighting and creating new connections,
equally divided in two cities: Kassel, its original headquarters, which will be very useful for the cultural scene, at least. It is no
and Athens. The German leg, opened in June, is on view through wonder that, at least for now, most of the team will keep on living
9/17. Entitled Learning from Athens the exhibition divided the in Athens, even after our mission is accomplished.
international art circuit, largely displeasing German critics, but Some critics say that the funds allocated by Greece for the documenta 14 dried
with more positive repercussions in other countries. Fokidis, out the resources for other cultural institutions. Is this true?
who in October returns to Brazil to take part in the jury of the This is not at all true. Obviously, truth is a relative concept, but
20th Festival Sesc_Videobrasil, and later should participate in a this type of accusation deserves a fact check. What Greek funds?
residency in Salvador, takes stock of the meaning of documenta Documenta 14 was given most times, if not solely, a friendly support
for Athens. Read the interview: from Greek institutions and individuals. For instance, both the
ARTE!Brasileiros — What is your assessment of the one hundred days of municipality of Athens and the Ministry of Culture offered a lot of
the documenta 14 in Athens? assistance with infrastructure, allowing the use of buildings and
MARINA FOKIDIS — Honestly, I believe that documenta 14, just as the archaeological sites without charging for that, or helping in legal
previous editions of documenta, are not a “case” or an entity with one interactions with public service.
hundred days, but much more than that. I think that maybe the one Aegean Air also offered a quite generous sponsorship, with free air
hundred days, in some cases, represent a myriad of actions—thoughts, tickets, just as private collectors loaned works, while others even
acts, creations, gestures, relationships—that emerge through a series contributed with modest sums. So, what Greek funds and which
of meetings in the course of at least three to four years. resources were dried out? I must say that, on the contrary, the
In the case of documenta 14, the “audiences,” the target audience exchange operation with the National Museum of Contemporary
or whatever we might call visitors, were engaged early on in their Art (EMST), a grand gesture with which I was very happy, had a
“activity.” The particular case of documenta 14, which involves its great cost to documenta. All the money spent in Greek institutions
partial shift to Athens, opened a very dynamic space for this alliance. is valid, obviously, but I really cannot see how anyone can claim that
For instance, the issues of South as a State of Mind, published by there is some sort of embezzlement in favor of Greek institutions
the documenta, went into circulation already in 2015, making our and a threat to them in this way. These are mere rumors.
research process very transparent two years before the show’s Documenta 14 has as clear political stance in respecting the context and
opening. Also, from the beginning, visual arts students accompanied pointing to the change in sensibility. Do you agree?
the visiting artists in Athens, in meetings that were semi-public in a This is a broad question we must ask ourselves, and it must not
way and not exclusively a closed discussion inside the office of the be limited only to documenta 14, but to all kinds of public projects
artistic director and his staff. Finally, in early 2016, we kicked off and exhibitions of this format.
the public presentations of a program called continuum, a sort of Having said that, I must admit as a Greek citizen, and as a member of
open studio that was followed by the public program itself, in the the curatorial team of documenta 14 in Athens that the “Athens leg”
autumn of the same year in one of the headquarters of documenta as we call it was very respectful with the local context. Which means,
in Athens. In addition, several artists, as well as members of the with the local institutions, the venues and their backgrounds, the
staff, moved to Athens where they started various projects with local local politics, the local authorities and non-authorities, in the limits
communities and individuals before the so-called “official opening.” of their competences, of course, as a large international institution.
Of course, during the first days of exhibition, we had a large At the same time, documenta 14 remained open for a broad array of
amount of foreign visitors from all over the world, just as a large different aesthetics, concepts and ways of expression, some even
mass of Greek visitors, considering local standards, and this went conflicting with one another. This opening is usually discussed as
on throughout the entire one hundred days. part of large exhibits such as documenta, but hardly achieved at
So, considering that the documenta 14 does not last the standard this level. I have learned a great deal in this process, and I believe
duration of one hundred days, I believe this effort and this pursuit that such gesture will transform sensibilities in regards to several
for new paradigms will continue after it is over, not only in Kassel, artistic formats and the specific way to include them in the project,
but also in Athens. And this not only with the permanent works that beyond the whole idea of exoticism, hierarchy and moralization.
will stay in the cities, but also for the reopening of small museums,
such as the Yannis Tsarouchis, with the maintenance of its financial 1 | THE CURATOR MARINA FOKIDIS
support through a series of new and strong international networks
among organizations and individuals which, it seems, will engender INTERNATIONAL PROJECT | PAGES 22 TO 24
a series of new, long-run projects.
I am not sure if I am the right person to judge documenta 14’s THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
What is the legacy of all that for Greece?
about a legacy, and if there will be indeed one. What I feel strongly WORK IN ITS CONTEXT
legacy, since I am very involved with it and it is still early to talk
is that documenta 14 has been an amazing energizing force for a
type of visual cultural scene, in its broader sense, in Athens. Artists, SKULPTUR PROJEKTE MÜNSTER 2017, EXHIBITION HELD EVERY TEN
intellectuals and art professionals of all kinds have been putting a YEARS SINCE 1977, PRESENTS 35 PROJECTS, MOSTLY RELATED TO
lot of hard work to support the production through these difficult
years in Athens. But, since this economic crisis had been dragging THE CULTURE OF THE GERMAN TOWN
for over eight years, and has virtually become the norm, people
got tired of struggling, and collaborations that were crucial in the BY FABIO CYPRIANO
beginning of this turbulent period began to collapse. I believe that
the “coming” of documenta 14 to Athens, with all its positive and SHOWN AT A BAR, the very common type in Germany, a corny,
negative implications, has gathered people, revitalized projects colorful place, carpet still smelling like cigarettes from the time

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