Abstract
Documenta, held every five years in the German city of Kassel, stands out from biennials, or great periodic international art exhibitions, in the degree of efficacy with which it has succeeded in creating a curatorial tradition, and it has established itself as a place for debate on contemporary curatorial models. Each new edition triggers a two-fold expectation: what stance will its curator take in the face of the current situation of art, and what will the position be as regards the exhibition’s own history. This article traces the history of Documenta, from its creation ten years after the end of the Second World War until the last edition that took place in 2012.