dOCUMENTA (13) - Final thoughts and some trends

Going home today - did some Super 8 filming on platform 13 of the Haubsbahnhof - could turn out well.

Key trends from the exhibition for me were

The rise and rise of the female artist

My favourite works were by Tacita Dean, Susan Hiller, Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, Susan Philipsz, Lara Favaretto, Mika Taanila and Cevdet Erek - more women than men. More humour and emotion in the female pieces of work.

Sound Installations can work

Up until now, I haven't really been moved by many sound installations - this all changed with Susan Philipsz's piece, probably because it was so well linked to location and the specific history of the place. The Cevdet Erek installation in a vacant floor of C & A again worked really well, as its location within a modern retail store was also a comment on modern consumerism.

Use of technology

Janet Cardiff and George Bures Millers Alter Bahnhof video walk was even more effective after listening to the Susan Philipsz sound piece in the same location.

Mixing a Situationist walk with an Ipod and headphones, including reality with the traumatic history of the location and adding dream sequences along with some humour was riveting and hugely thought provoking - it has led me back to the station to film and plan my own Super 8 film piece.

Why do all Germans wear rucksacks ?

Are they planning to pitch camp at a moments notice? Are they all on their way to a music festival ? What is it they carry in their sacks?
I don't think they are carrying "How to queue" instruction books...

Video installations are hard work

Apart from Willie Doherty's 20 minute piece Secretion, beautifully filmed with an initially intriguing story line and Mika Taanila's excellently presented and filmed 15 minute piece, The Most Electrified Town in Finland, the many other video offerings were difficult to engage with - I feel the artist/curator has to do more to help the viewer settle down for what seems like a long time when there is so much else to see.

Humour works

Susan Hiller's five jukeboxes and the 102 songs chosen to reflect the human spirit and history of protest, fighting for our rights to be individuals, used a subtle level of humour and I enjoyed the hunt for all five - what if there was a hidden sixth jukebox ?

Books and Swiss Chard

Why is it now ok to deface, mistreat and damage books - I thought we had decided that was a bad idea, even in the name of art.

Best new material was the use of Swiss Chard - best when using all 63 varieties ...

So I went to dOCUMENTA (13) and all I came back with was this image of a lousy T-shirt