Cosima von Bonin

Opening reception 07.06.2025, 3 pm
07.06.2025 – 28.09.2025

Fridericianum
Friedrichsplatz 18
34117 Kassel

As part of documenta’s 70th anniversary the Fridericianum presents an extraordinary project by the artist Cosima von Bonin who was born in Mombasa in 1962 and now lives in Cologne. 7000 Palmen revolves around creativity, community, and festive moments, as well as references to documenta and art history and social interaction.

The central artistic element consists of chains of pennants, whose flags do not follow the usual triangular shape but instead take the silhouette of a palm tree, an element also found in other works by von Bonin. All residents of Kassel—children, young people, and adults alike—are invited collectively to decorate their city with the pennant chains. This way, the project aims to involve as many people as possible in this unique artistic initiative. In its accompanying program, Fridericianum will arrange workshops, actions, performances, and concerts that are designed to foster discussions on art, creativity, and the city, while also providing opportunities for encounters and exchanges.

Cosima von Bonin occupies a defining position in the art of her generation. She participated in 2007 in documenta 12 and in 2022 in the Venice Biennale. Her works have been showcased internationally in institutional solo exhibitions, for example in Kunsthaus Bregenz (2010), in Cologne’s Museum Ludwig (2011), in Vienna’s MUMOK—Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien (2014), in SculptureCenter in New York (2016), and in Mudam–Musée d‘Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean in Luxembourg (2024).