Documenta 16 has announced it will proceed with its next edition in 2027, but without installing a code of conduct for its artistic director. This was among the recommendations set out by Documenta’s appointed expert advisory panel, following the previous iteration’s antisemitism controversy.
The exhibition’s past artistic directors recommended a six-member finding committee comprised of international curators to search for its 16th iteration. However, following the 7 October Hamas attack and further public scrutiny of their fellow panel members – Ranjit Hoskoté in particular was targeted for signing a 2019 letter protesting a ‘Hindutva and Zionism’ event, while Bracha Lichtenberg Ettinger resigned after Documenta refused to delay the exhibition – the remaining selectors collectively resigned. The curators Simon Njami, Gong Yan, Kathrin Rhomberg and María Inés Rodríguez then released a joint statement: ‘In the current circumstances we do not believe that there is a space in Germany for an open exchange of ideas and the development of complex and nuanced artistic approaches that documenta artists and curators deserve.’
Documenta said the exhibition and the Fridericianum museum will adopt their own codes of conduct, but that the artistic director would be under no such obligation. The artistic director would, however, be required to give a public talk explaining their curatorial theme and confirm ‘their understanding of respect for human dignity’.
The supervisory board will now only include five to nine members, with the city of Kassel, state of Hesse and two members of the federal government included. Documenta has also confirmed that it would create a Scientific Advisory Board comprising of six people from the fields of arts, culture and science.
