Arnold Bode and d(D)ocumenta Kassel with Respect to the Second Generation of Bauhaus

Abstract

(d)Documenta Kassel became internationally well known at the 5th documenta in 1 972. After this documenta was influenced by American pop art in the 4th documenta in 1968, its development was characterized by socio-political tendencies in the 1970's. Even though this understanding is one reality of documenta, it lacks the understanding about early documenta. In its early time, with full activities and energies, people contributed to its flowering after the destruction of the Nazi-regime. The first documenta in 1 955 was prepared by one member of Hochschule Kassel, Professor Arnold Bode. At that time, he realized one concept for an international art festival of modern artists who were < degraded > by the Nazi-regime from 1933-1945. With the cooperation between Bode and Werner Haftmann in Kassel, the second and third art festivals (expositions) were held in 1959 and 1964, and the second generation of Bauhaus and 'informel' artists participated in its realization. After their success, many artists attended the documenta. In this paper, the process of the development of documenta in these early stages will be researched from the point of pedagogy of art education.