A total of 860,000 visitors bought a ticket to come and look at what contemporary art has to offer. The organizers' wildest expectations were surpassed: the record set by the 2007 exhibition, when three-quarters of a million visitors came, was easily broken. The content of the exhibits also broke the sound barrier. The organizers chose extrovert artists with both feet firmly on the ground, who embrace 'engagement' and shout out their 'vibrancy' from the rooftops. Life, the world and the message are what matter. If this documenta is a barometer for the art climate, then there's a storm brewing. Standard bearers for contemporary art, all two hundred of them, demonstrated what they understand as 'social engagement'. The contemporary avant-garde takes the serious business of life very personally.
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