July 25, 2007

documenta 12

Living up to its reputation for idiosyncrasy, documenta 12 intermixes iconic and unknown artworks for an exploration of disparate practices. We discuss the surprising choices, such as early paintings by John McCracken and Trisha Brown’s show-stealing dance performance. We interview Chinese megastar Ai Weiwei, who brought 1,001 people to the exhibition, and spotlight the emerging French artist Saâdane Afif, who creates large installations from musical elements. For our media pick, we consider documentary photography by the politically minded Martha Rosler. Moving beyond Kassel, we review the standout shows of Karen Kilimnik at ICA Philadelphia, Yuri Masnyj at New York's Metro Pictures, and Mamma Andersson at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm.