Art historian Dorothea von Hantelmann is one of the most versatile figures on the German art scene. She has published on artists including Pierre Huyghe, Philippe Parreno and Jeff Koons, curated a series of projects and exhibitions at the crossroads of visual arts and theatre such as ›I promise it’s political‹ at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne and currently holds of a Professorship for the history and significance of the documenta at The University of Kassel’s School of Art and Design. Reflecting on the social functions of museums, Dorothea von Hantelmann’s lecture during IMPACT 14 sketches the development of exhibitions from the 16th Century to present day, establishes connections to the respective social economic situation, and questions the possibilities and limitations of the exhibition format.