When Naomi Beckwith was named artistic director of documenta 16, the international art world anticipated a bold shift in vision. Now, with the unveiling of her curatorial team, the upcoming edition—scheduled to take place in Kassel, Germany, from June 12th to September 19th, 2027—has been confirmed as historic. For the first time since the quinquennial’s founding in 1955, the exhibition will be led entirely by women.
Documenta 16 Kassel: a new chapter in curatorial leadership
Beckwith, who currently serves as deputy director and chief curator at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, is both the first Black woman and only the second woman in history to direct the Kassel-based exhibition. She has chosen four curators—Carla Acevedo-Yates, Romi Crawford, Mayra A. Rodríguez Castro, and Xiaoyu Weng—to join her in shaping the exhibition, its publications, and public programming.
The collective’s diversity is not just geographic but conceptual. Each curator brings a distinct lens to the project: Acevedo-Yates focuses on transcultural exchanges across the Americas; Crawford investigates art as knowledge production rooted in social realities; Rodríguez Castro explores archives, translation, and the power of context; and Weng highlights contemporary practices shaped by Asia and its diasporas.
Beckwith has emphasized that the team intends to use documenta 16 as a platform for exploring urgent global questions through contemporary artistic practices. Rather than relying on traditional biennial-style formats, the exhibition is expected to merge critical research, experimental pedagogy, and cross-cultural storytelling.
A turning point for documenta 16 Kassel
With its all-female leadership and commitment to reframing contemporary art’s role in society, documenta 16 Kassel represents both a break from the past and a bridge to the future. As Beckwith and her team prepare for 2027, the world will be watching to see how their vision reshapes one of the art world’s most influential stages.