exergue – on documenta 14 follows artistic director Adam Szymczyk and his curatorial team over two years as they develop “Learning from Athens,” a historic edition of what is considered the world’s most prominent art exhibition, held for the first time in 2017 in Kassel, Germany, and Athens, Greece, the epicenter of Europe's financial crisis at the time.
The artistic proposal of expansion to two locations was Szymczyk’s bold attempt to explore the institution’s boundaries, challenging the Eurocentric model of art production. The endeavor faced more than mere logistical obstacles, which could not help avert a financial deficit. The media scandal that erupted before the closing day obscured the artistic merits of the mega exhibition and further discussions about the content.
Documenta 14 sparked critical controversy and reactions due to its radical curatorial approach and critical reflection on history, frequently perceived as didactic or instrumentalizing politically urgent issues such as the refugee crisis, neo-liberalization, and the rise of far-right politics globally. At the same time, it was embattled as it raised uncomfortable questions about the art institution’s dependencies on local politics and the funding mechanisms of the art world.
Through the passion of its protagonists, the beauty and power of art, and the unprecedented access to inner processes, this cinematic opus, told in fourteen chapters, invites audiences into a behind-the-scenes observation of the dramatic course of documenta 14, and captures a reflection of the institutional art world and the function of Contemporary Art in a shifting global landscape.
