As of: 06/20/2022 4:42 p.m
Even before documenta began, there were allegations of anti-Semitism, and now a banner from an Indonesian artists’ collective is causing sharp criticism. Minister of State for Culture Roth speaks of anti-Semitic imagery and demands consequences.
Shortly after the opening of documenta fifteen, new allegations fueled the anti-Semitism debate surrounding the show, which had been smoldering for months. Specifically, it is about a contribution by the Indonesian artist collective Taring Padi. Among other things, a soldier with a pig’s face can be seen on their large-scale banner on Kassel’s Friedrichsplatz. He wears a scarf with a Star of David on it and a helmet with “Mossad” written on it. That’s the name of Israel’s foreign intelligence service. In the same picture, a man in a kippah, hat, and sidelocks has bloodshot eyes, pointed teeth, and a crooked nose.
“From my point of view, this is anti-Semitic imagery,” Roth explained.
Image: dpa
Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth criticized the “anti-Semitic imagery”. “Human dignity, protection against anti-Semitism as well as against racism and any form of misanthropy are the basis of our coexistence, and this is where artistic freedom finds its limits,” she explained. The documenta must “immediately make this clear to the curators and artists and draw the necessary conclusions,” Roth demanded.
“Clear anti-Semitic agitation”
The director of the Anne Frank educational institution asked those responsible for the world art exhibition in Kassel to remove the contribution of the Indonesian artist collective. “This is clear anti-Semitic agitation and a transgression,” said Meron Mendel. The chairman of the Central Council of Jews, Joseph Schuster, declared artistic freedom to end where misanthropy begins. “This red line was crossed at the documenta.” Those responsible must now meet their social responsibility and draw consequences.
The Hessian anti-Semitism officer Uwe Becker also called for the work to be removed. “Anti-Semitism remains anti-Semitism, whether spoken, painted or sung. The motifs chosen by the artist collective leave no room for interpretation, but have a clearly anti-Semitic character,” said Becker.
Hesse’s Minister of Art, Angela Dorn, who is also the deputy chair of the documenta supervisory board, spoke of anti-Semitic imagery. She therefore immediately contacted the general director of the documenta, Sabine Schormann, with the aim of clarifying the matter as quickly as possible. The managing director of the German Cultural Council, Olaf Zimmermann, explained that it was completely incomprehensible how those responsible for documenta could allow these anti-Semitic works to be exhibited despite all the discussions in advance.
allegations for days
In the run-up to the exhibition, which opened on Saturday, its organization had been the subject of controversy, mainly because of how it was treated with Israel. There was particular criticism of the Indonesian art collective Ruangrupa, which was entrusted with the artistic direction. Ruangrupa has been accused of involving organizations that question Israel’s right to exist or support a boycott of the country.
In his speech at the opening on Saturday, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that he had long doubted whether he should give the speech at all. “Because some of the criticism of Israeli policy, such as the construction of settlements, is justified,” the recognition of Israeli statehood is “the basis and prerequisite for the debate for us.”
Steinmeier also called it disturbing when “recently more and more representatives of the Global South refuse to take part in events, conferences or festivals in which Jewish Israelis take part”. In this context, it is striking that “there are probably no Jewish artists from Israel represented at this important exhibition of contemporary art”.