FROM ATHENS TO KASSEL—FROM KASSEL TO ATHENS

Aegean Airlines becomes sponsor and first official airline partner of documenta 14
 

For the first time in documenta's sixty-year history, its fourteenth edition takes place in Athens (‪April 8–July 16, 2017) and Kassel (‪June 10–September 17, 2017), marking a new departure for the exhibition as both guest and host. 

By asking documenta’s visitors to take a similar route as its makers, the exhibitions on view in each city also invite them to take their time, allowing a break in visibility while journeying between the two locations. The exhibition thus becomes an agent of change and a transformative experience for its audience and participants in both places, and beyond.

Mindful of the large number of visitors expected to make their way from Athens to Kassel—and vice versa—documenta has forged several alliances with travel experts from the tourism industry, both in Germany and Greece.

During a press conference held today at this year’s ITB international travel trade show in Berlin, documenta announced a number of partners who will support documenta 14 in Athens and Kassel: Aegean Airlines, the Greek National Tourism Organisation, the City of Athens and Athens Development and Destination Management Agency
, the City of Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau, the City of Kassel, and Kassel Airport. 

Aegean Airlines becomes the first official airline partner in documenta’s history and has today announced plans to schedule two direct flights per week between Athens and Kassel from April 2017 to facilitate travel for d14’s visitors. Further details will be announced in summer 2016.

Annette Kulenkampff, CEO of documenta und Museum Fridericianum gGmbH: “I am particularly pleased that Aegean Airlines is supporting documenta 14 as a sponsor and first ever official airline partner. Numerous visitors from Greece and Germany—and all over the world—will thus find their way to Athens and Kassel."

Eftichios Vassilakis, Vice Chairman of Aegean Airlines: “We are very proud that Athens, the metropolis of Greece will co-host with Kassel documenta 14, one of the most prestigious international art exhibitions. We at Aegean are delighted to be able to support Athens, as it takes solid steps in establishing itself as a global destination for arts and culture. With our direct flights between Kassel and Athens, we hope to contribute to documenta 14’s success as well as give our visitors a first taste of Greek hospitality even before reaching our country.”

Ralf Schustereder, CEO of Kassel Airport: "We are pleased to announce the expansion of our flight schedule in spring/summer 2017. The opening of this new route is the result of the successful collaboration of all partners present. The flights will not only directly connect Kassel to documenta 14 in Athens, but will also provide an opportunity for visitors to travel from Athens on to further destinations in Greece. We thank documenta 14 for this collaboration built on trust and their support in this undertaking.  We are grateful to welcome Aegean Airlines 'onboard' as a noted airline in the industry known for its high standard of service."

The City of Athens—which has been hosting part of the team of documenta 14 since early 2015—and its departments have offered the makers of documenta their generous support and expertise in ensuring and enabling the public infrastructure needed for documenta 14 in Athens. The Athens Development & Destination Management Agency as well as its Athens Convention & Visitors  Bureau are supporting the tourism industry on the ground to formulate customized travel and information packages to offer documenta’s visitors from all around the world logistical support when traveling to the Greek capital.

Maria Logotheti, Head of the Mayor's Office and Chairman of the Athens Development and Destination Management Agency: “Documenta 14 – ‘Learning from Athens’ puts our city on the international art map. Foreign artists visiting Greece will influence and converse with the Greek local art scene. This exciting interaction with local artists and Greek cultural organizations will result in the presentation of contemporary works, in a framework reflective of an integrated Greek influenced, yet still very international social context. Documenta 14 is developing a lively and fruitful dialogue with Athens’s creative citizens and local scene.”

Dimitris Tryfonopoulos, General Secretary of Greek National Tourism Organisation: “It is indeed an honor and a privilege for us to co-host documenta 14 in Athens and support and enhance this great contemporary art exhibition with its important history. Through documenta 14 in Athens, its international—and local—visitors will have the opportunity to learn about Athens, a city that combines: architecture, history, heritage, arts, and, most importantly, the Athenian people who are looking forward to welcome documenta’s public and visitors.”