Hamburg: HFBK maintains guest professorship for Ruangrupa artists | NDR.de – Culture

The University of Fine Arts will present the two Ruangrupa members Reza Afisina and Iswanto Hartono as guest professors of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) at the semester opening of the University of Fine Arts on Wednesday. In a statement, the Jewish community in Hamburg describes the guest professorship as a “disgrace for our hometown of Hamburg”. The chairman of the Jewish community, Michael Fürst, said in Interview with the Hamburg Journal: “I have absolutely no sympathy for that. Anyone who has shown after several months at the documenta that they do not want to give up anti-Semitic thoughts has no place at a public university in Germany.”

University of Fine Arts retains guest professorships

The decision on the guest professorship for Reza Afisina and Iswanto Hartono was made in January – i.e. before the start of documenta – explains University President Martin Köttering. The University of Fine Arts does not want to comply with the request to uninvite guest professors. “We see it as our duty not to simply let these issues pass by and to go about our daily business, but rather to deal with anti-Semitism in Germany and in all social classes,” says Köttering.

His university is sensitive when it comes to racism or anti-Semitism. “I believe that the art college is a good place to work through this with the students,” says the president of the college. He wants to include the two visiting professors, Reza Afisina and Iswanto Hartono, in this discussion. “It’s better to talk to them than just talk about them,” says Köttering.

Anti-Semitism allegations against Ruangrupa

The curatorial collective of this year’s documenta, Ruangrupa, is accused, among other things, of being close to the BDS movement, which calls for a boycott of Israel. Shortly after the documenta opened in mid-June, a work with anti-Semitic imagery was discovered and dismantled. Even after that, other works with anti-Jewish stereotypes were found at the documenta.

The anti-Semitism controversy surrounding this year’s documenta is to be scientifically processed. The Hessian Ministry of Science and Art is funding a research project scheduled until December 31, the documenta Institute in Kassel announced on Monday. Project partners of the institute will be the Frankfurt educational institution Anne Frank and the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences.

Hamburg Senate and HFBK in exchange

“It is not only necessary to deal with open questions within an artistic university, but also with the public,” says Science Senator Katharina Fegebank.

According to Science Senator Katharina Fegebank (Greens), the science authority is holding talks with the HFBK. “Hamburg’s universities are autonomous in appointing their guest professorships, this is covered by academic freedom,” said Fegebank. Universities should be places of critical discussion. “But academic freedom can and must never be a license for anti-Semitic ideas.” There shouldn’t be any unanswered questions if members of Ruangrupa are to teach in Hamburg.

Anke Frieling from the CDU says that the university should have pulled the ripcord in the summer and unloaded the two Ruangrupa representatives. The freedom of art never covers anti-Semitism.

Anti-Semitism Commissioner calls for fundamental debate

The Senate anti-Semitism commissioner, Stefan Hensel, calls for a fundamental discussion. “I think it’s time for a fundamental debate to be held about how the cultural scene in Hamburg would like to define its attitude towards Israel-related anti-Semitism and the Jewish community as a whole,” said Hensel. What is happening at the HFBK is shocking,

Protest by the German-Israeli Society

The German-Israeli Society announced that its President, Volker Beck, had sent a letter to the relevant departments in the Federal Foreign Office protesting the awarding of the visiting professorship to Hartono and Afisina. In it, Beck wrote of a “fatal signal for German foreign cultural policy and the commitment to Israel’s security and existence in the coalition agreement: ‘For us, Israel’s security is a matter of state.'” The decision also contradicts the decision of the German Bundestag on the anti-Israeli boycott movement BDS. In it, the Bundestag condemned calls for a boycott against Israel.

Afisina and Hartono have other guest professorships in Kassel

Afisina and Hartono also share a guest professorship at the Kunsthochschule Kassel, a spokesman confirmed. They were already working there in the 2022 summer semester and will continue their commitment in the coming winter semester. The university said that curators of the documenta traditionally take over events.

With information from Daniel Kaiser (NDR 90.3), Friederike Trumpa (Hamburg Journal) and the German Press Agency.

Further information

The international art exhibition was hotly debated for months, triggered by repeated allegations of anti-Semitism. more

The Taring Padi group’s controversial work has been suspended. Anti-Semitism researcher Grigat believes that other works are also characterized by hostility towards Jews. more

What is the truth behind the new allegations of anti-Semitism at the documenta? Assessments by Stephan Grigat, Professor of Theory and Criticism of Antisemitism. more

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