Volkswagen : For the fifth time Volkswagen supports documenta. The largest exhibition for contemporary art takes place in Kassel which is also home of one of Volkswagen’s production sites. ...

On the occasion of the announcement of the partnership, Volkswagen hands over a branded ID.3 to the documenta team.
(from left: Rita Werneyer, Jörg Fenstermann, Sabine Schormann, Reza Afisina, Daniella Fitria Praptono and Iswanto Hartono as well as mayor Christian Geselle). Artistic Team members at the ruruHaus.
(f.l.t.r. Lara Khaldi, Iswanto Hartono, Gertrude Flentge, Mirwan Andan, Frederikke Hansen, Julia Sarisetiati, Reza Afisina, Ajeng Nurul Aini, Ade Darmawan, Indra Ameng), Kassel, 2021 Photo / Foto: Nicolas Wefers

For the fifth time Volkswagen supports documenta. The largest exhibition for contemporary art takes place in Kassel which is also home of one of Volkswagen's production sites. As a leading partner, the company stands behind the joint approach of documenta and Museum Fridericianium gGmbH in improving the environmental footprint of the international art event. Documenta fifteen is going to be curated by the Indonesian artist collective ruangrupa using lumbung, a practice based on collectivity, resource building and sustainable exchange. Between June 18 and September 25, 2022 the exhibition will invite visitors on more than 100 days to experience artworks from all over the world.

Driving electric mobility forward and being a partner of documenta, Volkswagen enables visitors to explore the ample exhibition site in an all-electric, convenient and efficient way by using models from the ID. family. Adding the corresponding infrastructure, Volkswagen Group Components installs 30 mobile fast chargers using plug-and-play technology. Without the requirement of any underground work, every fast charger is instantly ready to be used after set-up and configuration and is able to simultaneously charge two electric cars with up to 150 kW, offering in just 15 minutes enough power for driving around 200 km.

In addition, Volkswagen and the local administration are going to build permanent charging points which will be available for people in the Kassel region also beyond the duration of the exhibition. This is part of Volkswagen's efforts in expanding the electric vehicle charging infrastructure: together with its partners, Volkswagen is going to mount a third of the fast charger network required in Europe until 2025.

Further to partnership activities at previous documenta exhibitions, Volkswagen trainees from the Kassel plant will assist at selected art projects. In 2017, trainees helped the Argentinian artist Marta Minujín to set up her work "The Pantheon of books" in the heart of Kassel.

Young students will benefit from Volkswagen Art4ALL. With the help of this Volkswagen initiative, documenta and Museum Fridericianum gGmbH will be able to distribute 14.000 free tickets to young people. This access to the experience of culture and the arts shall be specifically opened to schools with a focus on inclusion and integration as well as schools in challenging economic environments. Volkswagen is also funding a VW fellowship position dedicated to offer a young academic talent with an in-depth 12-month cultural experience.

Benita von Maltzahn, Head of Cultural Engagement at Volkswagen Group Communications, knows documenta very well after several years of partnership work: "The ideas of the team of documenta fifteen are very similar to ours. We always aim to provide as many people as possible with access to cultural experiences. And we are constantly looking for the most sustainable and resource saving ways to realize them. E-mobility and charging infrastructure will contribute to bring culture and people together as we strongly believe in an actual art experience and the personal exchange of views to turn encounters in lasting and inspiring events."

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