Art & Terror Times, Weekly newsletter 7-14 June
"Welcome
to the 'Art & Terror Weekly Newsletter,' your comprehensive review of the
week's events at the intersection of arts and politics.
This week saw notable acts of vandalism on
both sides of the Atlantic making headlines. In London, animal rights activists
targeted Jonathan Yeo's controversial portrait of King Charles
III at the Philip Mould Gallery, affixing Wallace and Gromit stickers
in protest against alleged animal cruelty linked to RSPCA farms. This sparked a
debate over the monarch's associations with the group.(The
Telegraph, Hyperallergic, CNN)
Meanwhile, in New York, the home of Brooklyn
Museum director Anne Pasternak was vandalized with red paint, accusing
her and the museum of being "white supremacist Zionists" and funding
genocide. This act, condemned as anti-Semitic and criminal, prompted a New York
police investigation and widespread public denunciation (ArtNews, TAN),
and some justifications as a response to perceived institutional wrongs ()
The ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict continues to profoundly
impact the arts globally.
In
the United States, the ill-named shows, "Connections" in San
Francisco (NYT),
and "Confronting Hate Together" in Washington (South
Seattle Emerald), showed all but a propension to connect and confront
anything together.
San
Francisco’s Contemporary Jewish Museum opened its exhibition
with blank spaces on the walls after seven artists withdrew
their works because of the museum's refusal to give in to their demands to
“disconnect” from Israel, whereas Washington's Wing Luke Museum experienced
a staff walkout over a text panel that they felt equated anti-Zionism
with antisemitism. The show, "Confronting Hate Together"
developed with community groups including the Black Heritage Society of
Washington State and the Washington State Jewish Historical Society, aimed to
spotlight activism against discrimination.
And
in yet another interesting twist of events, Columbia University
students in New York, demanded the return of confiscated
protest banners from their illegal occupation of a campus building.
The university agreed to return the banners but is now facing demands from
students for exhibition and storage space to continue their archival work and
prevent future confiscations of their art.(Hyperallergic)
Across
the Atlantic, Goldsmiths University's Centre for Contemporary Art in
London, a prominent art school, will remain closed until October following
a pro-Palestine student occupation. The closure ensued after demands for the
university to sever all ties with Israel, citing safety and insurance concerns
for artwork during the occupation. (ArtNews)
In
Israel, the Mishkan Museum in the north is trying to
foster peace and dialogue. Avi Lubin, the museum's chief
curator and curator of the Israeli pavilion at the 2019 Venice Biennale, is
showcasing previously unseen works by Israeli artist Dov Heller, a Marxist
advocate for peace with Palestinians. The new exhibition "Kibbutz
Sometimes", will feature pieces such as his poignant1968 print
"Remaining Words”. The exhibition aims to raise critical questions about
the future of Israel in the context of ongoing conflict, encouraging visitors
to consider paths to peace within the complexity of life in the kibbutzim along
along the Israel-Gaza border, as well as express solidarity, promote healing
and extend a hand. (Artnews)
British
"hate" artist Hamja Ahsan is facing criminal
investigation in Germany for his 2022 social media posts insulting
German politicians. Ahsan, known for his Tate Modern and Tate Liverpool
projects, called Chancellor Olaf Scholz a "neo-liberal fascist pig"
and labelled another politician a "neoliberal Apartheid regime
lackey". Ahsan's case intersects with German BDS laws and UK
freedom of speech debates. The Artists' Union England supports him,
denouncing what they call an “Islamophobic campaign against critics of Israeli
actions”. (TAN)
In Germany, the revered "culture of remembrance"
faces controversy as calls grow to integrate colonial and
migration histories. Initiated by Olaf Scholz's government in 2021, reforms
proposed by Claudia Roth's office aimed to expand remembrance beyond
National Socialism to include colonialism and immigration. However, these
plans have encountered staunch opposition. Holocaust memorial leaders fear a
dilution of focus on Nazi crimes, while advocates argue that broadening
remembrance is crucial to engaging younger Germans and addressing ongoing
racism and anti-Semitism rooted in historical legacies. (Qantara)
A lawsuit over an allegedly Nazi-looted Van Gogh painting
has been dismissed in an Illinois court due to jurisdictional
issues involving Japanese company Sompo Holdings, which purchased
"Sunflowers" for $39.9 million in 1987. (ArtNews)
Amid
criticism, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will revisit
its exhibition on Hollywood’s Jewish founders after charges of
antisemitism. Jewish activists and Hollywood workers denounced the exhibition
for portraying Jewish figures negatively, alleging it vilifies them while
overlooking broader historical context and perpetuating antisemitic tropes. (TAN)
In
sad news, the Museum of Faith and Dialogue on Italy's Lampedusa Island
has closed after seven years due to its inability to afford
the new €10,000 annual rent. Housed within the Pelagie Archaeological Museum,
it exhibited artifacts from Mediterranean shipwrecks and hosted 75,000
visitors. Critics argue that the imposition of rent was not politically
motivated amid Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's crackdown on migrant arrivals,
despite the island's poignant role in migrant tragedies, with over 30,000 deaths
in seven years. (TAN & InfoMigrant)
In
an essay, L.S. Stratton revisits the role of white women during the
Harlem Renaissance, highlighting their impact on Black artists. Women
patrons such as Mason and Meyer played pivotal roles in shaping the movement,
despite their patronage often being tainted by racial stereotypes and personal
idiosyncrasies. Unlike their more recognized male counterparts like Van
Vechten, these women's contributions have been largely overlooked. Meyer used
Harlem as a platform for activism, challenging societal norms with provocative
works like "Black Souls." Their involvement, though complex and
sometimes controversial, left a lasting imprint on Harlem's cultural and social
landscape. (LitHub)
And
whilst on feminine issues, a giant lavender inflatable IUD has
been installed in Washington, DC, to highlight the stalled Right
to Contraception Act in Congress. Erected by Americans for
Contraception, the display aims to raise awareness about threatened
contraceptive access nationwide. The campaign plans to bring the symbolic IUD
to states facing heightened challenges in birth control availability. (Hyperallergic)
The
world mourns the loss of two artists to conflicts this week: Chaim
Peri and Artur
Snitkus.
Chaim Peri, a renowned Israeli multidisciplinary
artist and founder of The White House gallery, tragically passed away at
79 while in Hamas captivity. He was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Nir
Oz on October 7. Peri was also known for his humanitarian work with The Road to
Recovery, facilitating Palestinian access to medical care in Israel.
Artur Snitkus, a 36-year-old Ukrainian artist,
musician, and stylist, fell victim to Russian military operations near
Donetsk. Celebrated as an icon of the Ukrainian queer underground, Snitkus was
honored with a vibrant funeral in his hometown of Ternopil, attended by friends
and several priests. The ceremony included fireworks, reflecting his dynamic
spirit and unique personality.
And Last but not least, Can Art save the World? Find out here ...
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