On Sunday, February 20, 2022, exhibitions by Toba Khedoori and Martine Syms closed, marking a pause in the Fridericianum’s program. This summer, the kunsthalle will become a central venue for documenta fifteen. Both exhibitions met with extremely positive responses from the public, the press, and the art world. The education program, which included guided tours and workshops, was also very popular across all age groups. Numerous articles on both shows appeared, particularly in the European and US press. In addition, the video work DED, produced by Martine Syms especially for her show at the Fridericianum, entered the collection of the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, which speaks to the relevance of the socio-political themes explored in the work and to its quality.
International Collaborations and Donation by Tarek Atoui
In 2022, the Fridericianum continues its mission of producing shows that have an impact on the international art world. During the pause in its program due to documenta fifteen, several exhibitions developed in recent years especially for Kassel will tour. The exhibition Waters’ Witness by Tarek Atoui will make stops at the Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Serralves in Porto (February 24 – August 28, 2022) and at MUDAM – Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean in Luxembourg (September 24, 2022 – February 19, 2023). In addition, the retrospective show on the life and work of Forrest Bess will be presented at Camden Art Center in London (September 30 – December 23, 2022).
A special gain for Kassel is the donation of Tarek Atoui’s work Tables of Contents. Following his solo exhibition at the Fridericianum, Atoui, a former documenta contributor, donated the work to documenta und Museum Fridericianum gGmbH out of a sense of connection with the city. Tables of Contents was activated during a workshop by the artist at the Internationales Musikinstitut Darmstadt.
Continuation of Moritz Wesseler’s Program from December 3, 2022, with Roberto Cuoghi’s First Solo Exhibition in Germany
From December 3, 2022, Moritz Wesseler’s exhibition program at the Fridericianum will resume with Roberto Cuoghi’s first solo exhibition in Germany. This follows internationally acclaimed shows by the artist, born in Modena in 1973 and now living in Milan, at the Italian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (2017), the Centre d’Art Contemporain in Geneva (2017), the MADRE Museo d’arte contemporanea Donnaregina in Naples (2017), and the DESTE Foundation for Contemporary Art on Hydra (2016), among others. At the Fridericianum, five major groups of works from a creative period spanning ten years will be presented, allowing audiences to experience the complexity of this unique practice. Cuoghi’s work not only encompasses diverse forms of expression, it also reflects his engagement with a wide range of issues and themes, such as conceptual reflections on art production, the dark side of limitless consumer culture, or the recurring disasters of humanity.
