When the Hessian Minister of Art Angela Dorn (Die Grünen) said at the opening of the Documenta that the debate about anti-Semitism allegations showed "how important productive dialogue would be", she, like the Documenta Managing Director Sabine Schormann and Kassel's Lord Mayor Christian Geselle, especially the media accused of not looking for a "productive" dialogue.
But months ago, the management of the Documenta and the curatorial team should have set it up and managed it.
That is still the case today.
Neither at the opening nor at any other time did those responsible explain themselves or make any suggestions as to how the talks, which were once planned with a dubious concept and were quickly canceled again, could be fruitfully conducted.
Even now it is only claimed that parts of the monumental picture that mock Jews offer "anti-Semitic readings".
Considerable damage
In the meantime, the impression has been gained that the catastrophic communication of the Documenta, which gives no explanations at all on social media and is very cautious in messages about the most recent events, is not only clumsy, but intentional.
However, the political leaders of the two Documenta shareholders, the state of Hesse and the city of Kassel, should have demanded an emphatic positioning long ago.
Instead of just repeating that anti-Semitism has no place at the documenta and confirming Israel's right to exist as a reason of state, clear words should have been used earlier - and much more detailed information.
The fact that within a few days Dorn went from celebrating a “radical counter-concept to our European understanding of art” to condemning the imposed work and also the interpretation by the Taring Padi collective responsible reflects the flow of information with which the Documenta gradually is perceived.
The damage is considerable.
Just asking for dialogue again is not enough.
Now politics and art must start a debate.
This is going to be extremely difficult.