The opening of the world’s largest exhibition for contemporary art in Kassel marks also the introduction of new sustainable mobility solutions in Kassel: a fully electric car sharing fleet, state-of-the-art EV charging stations and a rental service operating with recycled bicycles represent Volkswagen’s mobility support for documenta fifteen.
During the course documenta fifteen, 35 Volkswagen ID.3 form a dedicated WeShare fleet in Kassel. Visitors aged 21 or older and possessing a valid driver’s license are able to use the cars with just a convenient click in an app. Already successfully rolled out in Berlin and Hamburg, the car sharing solution offers users only electric cars and operates in what is known as a free-floating system. Within an area of 12 square kilometers, the cars can be individually used to travel to exhibition venues. Parking is allowed on any public parking space within the WeShare area. The WeShare app can be downloaded via the Google Play store and the Apple App store. More information on: https://www.we-share.io/
All EV owners and drivers are being served by Volkswagen with an extensive charging infrastructure including seven flexible rapid charging stations and 14 permanently installed charging stations totaling 42 charge points, by which the local charging point capacity nearly doubles during the opening season of documenta. The electricity is supplied by Kasseler Städtische Werke AG and comes as 100% sustainable green energy.
Vis-à-vis the documenta hall, the Volkswagen mobility stand offer 50 free rental bicycles to visitors. Demonstrating that mobility can also become more sustainable when product life cyles are being extended, old bicycles had been collected in the Volkswagen plants in Kassel and Wolfsburg before they had been comprehensively repaired by Outlaw Kassel gGmbH, a local social company. The refitted bicycles are now an additional two-wheel option for quick travels to the different venues used for documenta exhibitions.
Benita von Maltzahn, Head of Cultural Engagement at Volkswagen: “In its 15th edition, documenta discusses questions around the allocation and preservation of resources. With regard to mobility, electric powered vehicles lead to the way to the future and Volkswagen uses also the Kassel plant to further develop and spread solutions for this kind of mobility demand. We help with these solutions to add further options for guests to tour emission free and sustainably between the exhibition sites.”
Volkswagen is a lead partner of documenta fifteen, which specifically addresses collectivity, sustainability and fairness. The underlying concept had been developed by the Indonesian artist group ruangrupa that also managed the preparation of the exhibition after the group was appointed by documenta’s International Finding Committee in 2019.
Between June 18, and September 25, 2022, documenta presents works from the most influential artists of our time. The partnership with documenta extends Volkswagen’s international engagement for culture and the arts, strengthening artists, institutions and projects around company sites and beyond. The activities are being carried out with the commitment to enable a wide audience to engage with creative work and ideas, offering the chance to develop new perspectives for innovations and discourses.
SOURCE: Volkswagen
