1992
An interview with curator Denys Zacharopoulos concerning
Documenta IX was published in The Art Newspaper on March 31, 1992, Zacharopoulos was one of the co-curators of the exhibition, which took place from June 13 to September 20, 1992, in Kassel, Germany, and was directed by Jan Hoet.
Key aspects of the interview
- Zacharopoulos discusses his role as a curator alongside Jan Hoet, Bart de Baere, and Pier Luigi Tazzi, explaining that Hoet acted more as a president, fostering an ongoing debate among the team, rather than an absolute authority.
- A "living exhibition": Zacharopoulos's vision for Documenta IX was a "living exhibition" that would actively engage the viewer. He aimed to create a natural and active relationship between the art, the space, and the audience, moving away from a purely contemplative experience.
- Focus on the individual and physicality: The exhibition was conceived as a response to the political and ideological changes of the late 1980s and early 1990s, particularly the fall of the Berlin Wall. It centered on the human body and its sensual experience in a world increasingly dominated by digital and virtual realities.
- "A Documenta of certainties": The interview's title, "It’s a Documenta of certainties," reflects Zacharopoulos's emphasis on art's power to provide a grounded, sensitive experience in a time of widespread uncertainty. The curatorial approach relied on intuition and emotion rather than rigid geometric logic.
This interview provides insight into the conceptual framework and collaborative curatorial process behind one of the most widely attended Documenta exhibitions in its history