The original plan was for an international conference in Kassel in 2019, but early in the planning purposes this had to be postponed because of Covid 19. Instead, with their encouragement we began to plan this website. This is intended as an open text, a resource comprising contributions from collaborators on Documenta11 as well as other of Okwui’s ground breaking exhibitions.  The hope is that it will encourage readers and participants to explore the history of Documenta11 and its continuing relevance today.

This is a project of the documenta archive who have been researching and restoring material from the 2002 exhibition, including recordings of the platform conferences, and arranging reprints of key Documenta11 Platform and Exhibition texts, much of this material not available since 2002. At the same time we have begun to receive many exciting contributions from artists, curators and critics which you will find on the web pages which follow. New thinking for new times we hope. Please join us in developing this project.

The documenta archive is a continuous research institution working with the history of the documenta exhibitions. The focus on Documenta11, apart from its critical success as important as Harald Szeemans documenta 5, is occasioned by the so premature death of Okwui Enwezor and the commitment of the curatorial team, ruangrupa and documenta und Museum Fridericianum gGmbH to honour Okwui’s legacy. Indeed it was the wish of the mayor of Kassel to honour Okwui that was one of the spurs to action on this project.

We invite contributions which serve to advance the global perspectives which Okwui and his collaborators initiated. Okwui was adamant that however relevant as the history of Documenta11 might be today, we should be using this opportunity to use these tools to project future research and projects.

You will find a web interface designed by L2M3 communication design to facilitate the exploration of the original Documenta11 and linked by an ingenious colour coding to present your contributions. Please send your contribution to the following address: platform6@documenta.de

Mark Nash, Ute Meta Bauer and Angelika Nollert

Download Submission Guidelines

The landing page features impressions of Okwui Enwezor and Documenta11, 2002, as well as other materials that provide an introduction to the project.
The upper menu bar has current contributions about Enwezor and Documenta11 Recently and, under Talks, related interviews and conversations.
The lower menu bar will take you to an overview of the previous five platforms of Documenta11. A selection of contributions from Platform1–4 has been made available in the form of texts or videos. Under Platform5, an image gallery and excerpts from the exhibition catalog offer a look back at the exhibition.
Using the menu on the right, you can filter contributions by keywords or conduct a full text search in the Search field. The About field provides information about Platform6 and its initiators and organizers.
The videos about Platform1–4 have been edited for the website. This historical material does not meet today's standards for image and sound quality.
Platform6 will be updated with new, additional content at regular intervals.

Special thanks to the curatorial team:
Mark Nash, Ute Meta Bauer, Angelika Nollert

and Vladimir Seput, UC Santa Cruz

Idea: Sabine Schormann
Concept: Martin Groh

In the Platform6 library, the documenta archiv makes both historical and new text contributions from the platforms available as PDF downloads. The texts can be downloaded under the respective contributions as well as in the overview in the library.
Texts that have previously been published and republished on Platform6 are not made available as downloads due to copyright restrictions. The credit lines of the first publications are indicated under the respective contributions.