In Germany, artists deemed too pro-Palestinian banned from cultural life

Years of work for nothing: artist Candice Breitz has had her exhibition in the German city of Saarbrücken canceled due to her stance on the war between Israel and Hamas. She's not the only one. In Germany, whose leaders have shown unwavering support for Israel following the bloody Hamas attack on October 7, several cultural events were canceled after participants made comments deemed too pro-Palestinian. If the organizers say they want to fight against anti-Semitism, which has seen a resurgence in Germany since the start of the conflict, other voices fear an erosion of artistic freedom.

According to Candice Breitz, herself Jewish, "German institutions risk increasingly avoiding working with politically engaged artists", instead favoring artists who are "docile and reluctant to ask critical questions". “The future of contemporary art in Germany could resemble the past,” the artist, whose canceled exhibition was a video installation made with sex workers in his native Africa, told AFP from South.

While other countries have seen event cancellations in similar circumstances, the trend in Germany has been particularly pronounced, in a country where guilt over the Holocaust looms large. Candice Breitz's installation was due to be presented at the Saarland Museum in 2024, before organizers announced its cancellation in November. The Saarland Cultural Heritage Fund said it would “not offer a platform to artists who do not recognize Hamas' terror as a civilizational rupture, or who consciously or unconsciously blur the lines between legitimate and illegitimate acts” .

Candice Breitz claimed to have publicly condemned the Hamas attack on several occasions, as well as Israel's "disproportionate" response. “I do not question Israel's right to defend itself against terrorism, but I think that collective punishment of civilians in Gaza cannot be the solution,” said the 51-year-old artist.

The war was triggered by the unprecedented attack launched on October 7 by Hamas on Israeli soil, which left around 1,140 dead in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on the latest figures. Israeli officials available. In the Gaza Strip, more than 18,800 people have been killed by Israeli bombardments, according to the latest report from the Hamas Ministry of Health. “The notion that any progressive Jew in this country can be suspected of anti-Semitism unless they publicly denounce Hamas is ridiculous,” the artist added.

Russian-American literary figure Masha Gessen – who describes herself by the neutral pronoun “iel” – is also affected. She was to receive the prestigious Hannah Arendt Prize for political thought last Friday. But after one of his essays appeared in the New Yorker, comparing the Gaza Strip to Jewish ghettos in Europe during the Nazi era, a foundation supporting the prize called the comments “unacceptable” and withdrew. of the ceremony. The latter still took place a day later at the insistence of the organizers.

Another major literary prize for British author Sharon Dodua Otoo has been canceled over a petition she signed eight years ago that critics say supported a movement to boycott Israel. the novelist subsequently distanced herself from this petition and, as she proposed, the prize of 15,000 euros was donated to a charitable initiative.

The Berlinale of Photography, which was to be held in three German cities in 2024, was canceled following the publication of pro-Palestinian messages on social networks by one of its curators. Culture Minister Claudia Roth told AFP that "Israel's security is a fundamental principle" for Germany, adding that keeping cultural spaces "open and safe for everyone" was a challenge but that “we must try”. Canceling events or prizes should be “the last step, not the first,” she added.