Documenta

Last weekend was the beginning of Documenta 12, a world-renowned art show that takes place every 5 years in Kassel. Saturday I got out of the house finally after being sick all week. It was a perfectly warm and sunny day and downtown was a rattenkonig (wink Dave) of tourists, shoppers, and art freaks. Also, freak show itinerants whom you weren't sure were a sanctioned part of the show. A bearded man with dreads sauntered around the empty Mohl fields with an Israel flag, budging his way through the crowd gathered before the Chinese Poster Men. The Chinese Poster Men were giving instructions to the crowd on multicoloured posters. Things like: Chinese + German = smart kids! translated into 3 languages. One artist at Documenta, a Mr. Weiwei, is flying in 1001 Chinese people to the art show as his project. Today I ran into an artist from London who told me that he thinks Weiwei is playing on people's fears here of China taking over the world. When I told my host mom she twisted up her face (like she often does when I speak German) and said she doubted that people here were afraid of Chinese. Turkish people maybe. Iraqis, yeah. But Chinese? Chinese FOOD you mean? There are hardly any Chinese in Germany! So perhaps Weiwei's big idea will not have the same effect in Germany as it would in Canada or the U.S. On the other hand, it's probably one of the best projects since it gets people talking. What gives with all the Chinese on the trams?