This is another blow for the Documenta contemporary art fair, which recently opened in Kassel, in central Germany. This unmissable event for contemporary creation, which takes place every five years, has faced accusations of anti-Semitism in recent months.
In the edition that opened on Saturday, a work by the Indonesian collective Taring Padi shows a soldier with a pig’s head, a Star of David and the inscription “Mossad” on his helmet. There is also a man with long teeth, curly hair, a hat with the inscription of the Nazi SS and a cigar in the corner of the mouth, reminiscent of anti-Semitic caricatures of Orthodox Jews. The work, created “in the context of political demonstrations in Indonesia”, will now be hidden and an “explanation” will be installed nearby, according to a press release from the organizers of Documenta.
Art freedom ends where misanthropy begins
Several voices had called on Monday for the removal of the painting which “clearly presents anti-Semitic motives”, according to the director of the Anne Frank Center and professor at the University of Frankfurt, Meron Mendel, on Twitter.
“The elements … are reminiscent of Goebbels’ propaganda” released “at the darkest time in German history” and “must be immediately removed from display,” the Israeli embassy in Berlin said in a statement. calling herself “disgusted”. “Freedom of art stops where misanthropy begins,” denounced Josef Schuster, president of the Council of Jews in Germany. “Documenta officials must draw the consequences. The Federal Minister for Culture, Claudia Roth, also judged that the fight against anti-Semitism and racism “are also the limits of artistic freedom”.
The group fights back
“Our works do not contain anything that aims to negatively represent any ethnic group,” defended Taring Padi. The “pigs, dogs or rats” are “references to widespread symbolism in the Indonesian political context” used in this mural created in 2002 to “criticize a capitalist, exploitative system and military violence”, according to the collective. There is “no connection with anti-Semitism”, argue the artists, saying “sad that the details are interpreted differently than their initial intention”. “We apologize for the injuries caused,” the statement added.
The debate comes as the art fair has already opened into controversy: the Palestinian collective The Question of Funding, very critical of the Israeli occupation, has been accused of being linked to the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement ( BDS). He advocates a boycott of Israel because of its occupation of the Palestinian Territories. BDS was labeled as “anti-Semitic” by the German parliament in 2019 and banned from receiving public money. However, around half of Documenta’s budget – 42 million euros – comes from the Federal State.
Last month, vandals broke into the space where works by Palestinian artists are exhibited, covering the walls with menacing graffiti. La Documenta is a major meeting place for contemporary art, along with the Venice Biennale. For one hundred days, the works of more than 1,500 artists are expected to attract at least one million visitors.