The Barbican involved in artistic censorship
Published
by
Richard Kuper
JVL Introduction
In response to the Barbican’s decision not to host Pankaj Mishra’s talk on “The Shoah after Gaza”, part of the London Review of Book’s Winter Series, two artists have withdrawn from a major exhition, Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art.
It is now without six major artworks.
You can watch and read Mishra’s talk on our website here.
RK
This article was originally published by the Guardian on Fri 8 Mar 2024. Read the original here.
Two artists withdraw work from Barbican show in row over Gaza talk
Yto Barrada and Cian Dayrit ask for art to be removed from exhibition after venue pulled out of hosting speech about war
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Sadly artistic venues should always side with any oppressed people! Contingency plans should always be available & put in place regardless!
When a small oppressed country is made smaller through violence, oppression, imprisonment ,torture, rape, sodomy & theft of homes, lands & freedom & GENOCIDE Then there is NO QUESTION WHO ONE SHOULD SUPPORT!!
Art is for EVERYONE but it is also something that expresses what OPPRESSION really means!
It’s a silencing of humanity, compassion & kindness!!
Doing that & ignoring that oppression is as guilty as the OPPRESSOR who removes our humanity!
Israel has lost its humanity by accepting Zionist philosophy which is NOT JUDAISM!!!
I recognise the problem. Barbican staff need to feel safe at work. And art needs to tackle difficult and controversial topics. How can galleries ensure both? I will not attend because I am appalled at Barbican’s stance. However, I fully comprehend its reasons. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
The Zionist establishments (so many…) are panicking somewhat – a good sign – and lashing out…unsurprising. Cf our GB Unfree Speech director’s claim three days ago that ‘on weekends London is unsafe for Jews’ – because demands for an end to Zionist genocide in Gaza and for Palestinian rights are becoming ever more ‘vociferous.’
In the Guardian article Dr Toby Simpson is quoted as saying that ”there was a widespread failure to acknowledge antisemitism and its legacies today, especially on the left of the political spectrum, and that was likely to have played a role in the Barbican’s decision”.
It is not clear why Dr Simpson was singled out for his opinion but it is clear that he seems to be blissfully unaware of constant accusations of antisemitism among politicians and the media.
No, Dr Simpson, there is no ‘widespread failure to acknowledge antisemitism”, far from it.
Quote, “sensitivity when dealing with the Holocaust”. So what do we call, that is occurring in Gaza now ?.
Pankaj Mishra’s speech is courageous, intelligent and humane, and credit to the LRB for sponsoring it. I did not know the Barbican refused to host it. Shame on Barbican – redoubt for reactionary oppression, art’s fortress no longer? Mishra compares Zionist ethno-nationalilsm to the rise of Hindu nationalism – a reminder that Israel, sadly, is no exception.