Good-Bye White Cube

The white cube, an exhibition space painted entirely white, is history -- at least at Documenta 12. Color is the order of the day.

"It's good for painting and with photography. We are indeed used to the white, but black-and-white photography simply comes across much better on colored walls," said curator Ruth Noack.

Noack admitted that not all artists were enthusiastic about the idea of showing their work on a salmon pink or olive green background. But colorful surroundings for showing art are common in some countries. Thus, the Thai artist who will show at Documenta 12 -- and whose name hasn't yet been released -- was very pleased with the pink room in which his Buddha sculptures will be displayed, Noack said.

Western European and American artists in particular are accustomed to the white cube, which always casts their work in a regular, controllable light. There is, however, an older European tradition of hanging artworks on colorful walls.

Creating a mood

The Documenta plans to use color to put contemporary art in the right perspective as well as to create a special atmosphere for visitors, said Artistic Director Roger M. Buergel.

"Architecture is a medium that either makes you float or weighs you down. And the moment that you start to establish relationships, it becomes something very light and happy, and for that you have to create an atmosphere -- that's why (we decided on) colors," Buergel said.

The artists' desires also played a role, he said, requiring different architectural approaches. "Some want to be hidden, others want to be discovered, others want to be accentuated.

Buergel was mainly referring to the exhibition's interior architecture, seeing as almost all the buildings used for the Documenta are decades -- if not centuries -- old.

Architect Tim Hupe reconstructed some of the original interior architecture, such as rebuilding a flight of stairs that had been removed from one building in the 1980s. Hupe's team also reopened walled-in windows to let natural light into the rooms. Some artists are especially keen to show their work in the intimate cabinet rooms of the classicist buildings.

Greenhouses for art

Documenta 12 erected a temporary building for art that needs air and space: the Crystal Palace. The wide halls built on a vast field look like greenhouses and give the impression of transparency. But that wasn't the aim.

"Art needs to be protected from light and weather, and this building supplies that," Hupe said.

There are no permanent walls in the Crystal Palace so that the curators are free to install the art according to how they think it should be shown and put in partitions as they see fit.

"Of course, you can only do something like this for a one-time thing like the Documenta," said Hupe. "There, one time, in one place, an art work will be shown."

Documenta 12 opens to the public on June 16 and runs until Sept. 23.