DMU artist featured in world's biggest contemporary art exhibition

Work by a De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) artist is being shown as part of one of the world’s largest contemporary art exhibitions.

Lala Meredith-Vula, DMU’s Reader in Art and Photography, is one of 160 artists presenting work, performances and installations in Athens as part of Documenta 14.


Photo: Mathias Voelzke

Documenta, which is held every five years, has traditionally been held in Kassel, Germany. For the first time, the programme has been split between Kassel and Athens.

Lala’s work features photographs from her Blood Memory exhibition, which captured poignant moments from an incredible time in Albanian history when people brought an end to blood feuds, which had caused the deaths of families and entire communities.

The exhibition was first shown in the National Art Gallery of Kosovo, which was attended by heads of state. Being part of Documenta 14, however, is a proud achievement for Lala.

More than 40 different venues across Athens including public parks, squares, universities, libraries, cinemas and abandoned buildings have been used as temporary art galleries for the next three months.  

She said: “This really is the most monumental art show of the 21st century. It takes on very political and hard issues with no compromise through art.”

The trailblazing Documenta 14 features some of the most prestigious names in the contemporary art scene. All the exhibitions are carefully curated on themes such as migration, the financial crisis and censorship.

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Adam Szymcyk, Artistic Director of Documenta 14, said of the programme: "I think this project is quite profound and layered and complex and it’s offering something that it is totally unique to this city and to many people who will be coming to this city from afar.”

Documenta was originally launched in 1955 by art professor Arnold Bode to draw attention to works banned by the Nazis as degenerate. Some 860,000 people visited the last exhibition in 2012. Athens officials hope for more than 6,500 visitors to its leg of the programme.