Thomas Schütte, Die Fremden, 1992, print
We asked two curators of documenta IX—Pier Luigi Tazzi and Denys Zacharopoulos—what it felt like to work during the fall of Communism, and their responses have been surprising. They avoid cliché and theorization, making for fascinating conversation. They juxtapose art making and history making with an intuitive, spontaneous, and joyful handling of chaos (not on the “right side of history”). This resonates profoundly with the contemporary moment, when news headlines declare multiple crises (migration, economy, democracy), revealing a deeper crisis of spirit, libido, and imagination. Making full use of Sanja Ivekovic’s evolving Monument to Revolution on Avdi Square (located steps away from the Municipal Gallery currently directed by Denys Zacharopoulos), we gather to imagine a future borne out of this complex continuous present and to make a toast. Moderated by documenta 14 curator Monika Szewczyk.
Denys Zacharopoulos is an art historian and art critic. He studied history and theory of art in France. He directed the Domaine de Kerguéhennec, Brittany, co-directed documenta 9 in 1992, and curated the French Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 1999. He has been an advisor for many public collections, the General Inspector of the French Ministry of Culture, and a professor in Geneva, Grenoble, Vienna, Amsterdam, Lesbos, and Athens. Zacharopoulos has authored numerous studies on art. He lives and works in Greece.
Pier Luigi Tazzi was born in Colonnata, Florence, Italy, in 1941. He lives in Capalle, Florence, and NongPrue, ChonBuri, Thailand. An art critic and curator, he has been president of the non-profit organization Fondazione Lanfranco Baldi, Pelago, since 1998, and was a founding member of Cantiere Toscana, in 2016.
Monika Szewczyk is a curator of documenta 14 and a member of the Army of Beautiful Women, among many other things.
