After anti-Semitism scandal
Dismantled banner at documenta
First covered in black – and finally dismantled: the heavily criticized installation by the Indonesian artist collective Taring Padi. Photo: Swen Pförtner/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
The installation by the Indonesian artist collective was only on view for a few days. But then “People’s Justice” became a scandal after public criticism. Now there were consequences.
The work can no longer be seen, but the debate is not over: A heavily criticized installation at documenta fifteen in Kassel was first covered – and then dismantled on Tuesday evening.
Around 100 people followed this, there were whistles and boos as well as applause. Only the scaffolding for the work of art initially remained standing. Now the calls for a reappraisal of the scandal are getting louder.
The large-scale banner installation “People’s Justice” by the Indonesian artist collective Taring Padi showed, among other things, a soldier with a pig’s face. He wears a scarf with a Star of David and a helmet with the inscription “Mossad” – the name of the Israeli foreign intelligence service.
After fierce public criticism, it was initially imposed with a black cloth on Monday. Kassel’s Lord Mayor Christian Geselle (SPD) announced on Tuesday that the banner would be removed.
Lord Mayor: We feel ashamed
“I’m angry, I’m disappointed. Because the city of Kassel and I, as mayor, feel ashamed, »said Geselle. “Something happened that shouldn’t have happened.” The installation has a clear anti-Semitic connection. The curating collective Ruangrupa had been accused of anti-Semitism for months. Since the beginning of the debate, however, the group has always assured that anti-Semitism, racism or violence have no place at the documenta, emphasized Geselle. “In this one case, they obviously have not lived up to their responsibilities.”
Among other things, the support group “Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe” had requested the dismantling. “Those responsible must ensure that it is worked out how such a picture could be hung up in the first place,” said the chairwoman of the support group Lea Rosh on Tuesday. In relation to the documenta, she spoke of “anti-Semitism with a long announcement”. For months, those responsible have been asked to “prevent the anti-Semitism that has been announced at the “documenta fifteen”. It’s been appeased, ignored and moderated for just as long.”
Roth: Clearly anti-Semitic pictorial elements
Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth (Greens) had also spoken out in favor of removing the controversial banner installation. The work clearly has anti-Semitic elements, she said on Tuesday in Berlin. The mere disguise and the explanation of the artist collective Taring Padi are unacceptable. In addition, it must be clarified how the installation of this picture could have come about in the first place. Those responsible must continue to ensure that no other “clearly anti-Semitic image elements” are shown at the exhibition in Kassel.
The International Auschwitz Committee called for dialogue with the artists. “It is high time to start a conversation at this documenta, to hear the artists from which world view these pictures were created and to publicly explain on the part of the documenta why these pictures are met with resistance and rejection here,” explained Christoph Heubner , the executive vice president of the International Auschwitz Committee, on Tuesday.
processing required
Hesse’s Minister of Art Angela Dorn (Greens) sees the scandal as having serious repercussions. “The work of art contains anti-Semitic ciphers that Jews rightly feel offended by,” explained Dorn. “The damage that has already occurred cannot be put into perspective,” said Dorn on Tuesday. “On the contrary, we have to work through how it happened at the documenta that such a visual language was shown publicly.”
The banner was only installed after many journalists and trade visitors had already previewed the documenta – according to the organizers last Friday afternoon. The reason given for the delay: necessary restoration measures due to storage damage. The work was not made for documenta fifteen, but was shown for the first time in 2002 at the South Australia Art Festival in Adelaide.
The general director of the documenta, Sabine Schormann, apologized on Tuesday. It had been assured that no anti-Semitic content would be on display at documenta fifteen. “Unfortunately, we didn’t keep that promise. And that shouldn’t have happened, »she told ZDF and Hessischer Rundfunk (hr).
«Anti-Semitic depictions must not have a place in Germany, not even in a global art show. This also applies expressly to all understanding of the concerns of the Global South and the imagery used there.» The dialogue that has begun will be continued with respect for the diversity of cultural spaces of experience.
Minister of State for Culture Roth called for further processing in the 3sat program “Kulturzeit”. She only sees the dismantling of the banner as a first step: “First of all, it was absolutely overdue not only to cover up this mural with the anti-Semitic imagery, but to dismantle it.”
Now she wants to “definitely have clarified how this picture can be set up a few hours before the opening on Friday afternoon and nobody has recognized that it contains anti-Semitic imagery”. When asked whether she had been too gullible in the run-up to the documenta exhibition, the Green politician said: “I wasn’t gullible, I trusted.”