KASSEL · since dOCUMENTA (13) was established in 1955, it has been regarded as a key international exhibition of contemporary art worldwide and a moment of reflection on the relationship between art and society. it takes place every five years, and runs for 100 days.

in 2012, over 160 artists and other participants from around the world will meet and present a variety of artistic practices, including sculpture, performance, installation, research and archiving, painting, photography, film, curatorial, text-based and audio works as well as other experiments in the fields of aesthetics, art, politics, literature, science, and ecology. for the artistic director Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, dOCUMENTA (13) is a form of inquiry and indulgence in materials. her intuitive approach resembles that of the artists and other participants she has chosen to work with. thus, the 13th edition of documenta will be a surprising stage to present questions that shape our notion of life in the present.

this exhibition speaks about the uniqueness of our relationship with objects and our fascination with them. it explores the individual and troubled histories of these objects, and their shifting connotations. the materials of these objects are earthly: from solid carved stone to ceramics (permanent yet breakable). there are eccentric, precarious, and fragile objects, ancient and contemporary objects, innocent objects and objects that have lost something; destroyed objects, damaged objects and indestructible objects, stolen objects, hidden or disguised objects, objects on retreat, objects in refuge, traumatized objects. the “riddle” of dOCUMENTA (13) is a paradox, a space of many secrets, a space of violence, and a space of potential healing.