Despite the renewed discovery of works with anti-Jewish stereotypes at documenta fifteen in Kassel, stopping the show is not an option for interim managing director Alexander Farenholtz.
“I don’t have the feeling that the mood at the documenta reflects such demands,” he said in Kassel. “And that’s definitely not the mood that prevails in the artistic direction and in me.”
The 68-year-old also continues to reject a systematic examination of all remaining works. “There is no general suspicion against the documenta and therefore no reason for a general examination.” The artistic direction is preparing a text as an explanation for the depictions now being criticized, which will be added to the exhibition. “A removal of the drawings is not indicated,” emphasized Farenholtz.
Corresponding demands had been raised in the past few days after works with anti-Semitic imagery had again been discovered at the exhibition. Shortly after the documenta opened in mid-June, a banner with anti-Jewish motifs was discovered and taken down. Since January there have been voices accusing the Indonesian curator collective Ruangrupa and some invited artists of being close to the anti-Israel boycott movement BDS.
New anti-Semitism works surfaced
According to Farenholtz, the current discovery was three weeks ago. A visitor complained to the documenta about the depictions in a brochure that was published in Algiers in 1988. The drawings by the Syrian artist Burhan Karkoutly, for example, show soldiers with the Star of David on their helmets as robots with bared teeth.
The representations were initially removed from the exhibition for an examination, explained Farenholtz. The public prosecutor classified them as not relevant under criminal law. In addition, the artistic direction assessed it as archive material that was created in a historical context and has a documentary character. They were therefore returned to the exhibition.
The culture manager admitted to “technical errors” in this approach. On the one hand, there was a failure to explain to the complainant how her complaint was to be dealt with. “The second mistake was not explicitly deciding whether contextualization is needed or not. That decision just wasn’t made.”
Clear procedure for complaints
The documenta learned lessons from this, he said. There is now a clear procedure for future complaints of any kind. Accordingly, potential complainants should be informed of the outcome. In addition, a concrete decision should be made on any explanations that may be required for the works concerned.
Farenholtz rejected criticism of the Ruangrupa curatorial collective’s lack of communication. “It is not correct to draw conclusions about a lack of willingness from this.” The members of the group are very accessible and approachable, especially on site in Kassel and in the exhibition they are very present. “Ruangrupa shows its willingness to engage in dialogue on an equal footing.” The situation is difficult for her too.
All those involved are open to the scientific monitoring of the documenta by external experts announced by the shareholders – the city of Kassel and the state of Hesse. “I would like to do everything to support this body in its work,” emphasized Farenholtz.
The culture department of the city of Kassel and the Hessian ministry for science and art are working “at full speed” on its constitution, the ministry said on request. Further details have not yet been given. As soon as the committee is constituted, it will also deal with current events.
More outrage about documenta
They continued to cause outrage on Friday. The impression that documenta fifteen has been hijacked by ideologues whose main concern is to delegitimize the existence of the State of Israel is growing, according to the International Auschwitz Committee.
“The other anti-Semitic images at documenta fifteen document the lack of will on the part of the artistic directors to seriously and clearly distance themselves from anti-Jewish abusive art or to prevent it,” said Uwe Becker, the Hessian anti-Semitism commissioner, according to the statement. Explanations or forms of classification are wrong means of dealing with Jew hatred. “There must be no back doors for anti-Semitism – neither at documenta fifteen nor anywhere else in our country.”
In the “Frankfurter Rundschau” (Saturday) the Green politician and President of the German-Israeli Society, Volker Beck, calls on Hesse’s Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU) to link all state payments with immediate effect to the condition that on the documenta no more anti-Semitic images could be shown. All exhibited works would have to be examined for anti-Jewish imagery. According to the report, Beck demands that if Hesse’s art minister, Angela Dorn (Greens), cannot enforce this as a member of the supervisory board, Rhein must withdraw her from the board – without naming Dorn.
