documenta 2022: Artists Taring Padi apologize after allegations of anti

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View of the initially veiled figure depiction »People's Justice« by the Taring Padi collective

Photo: Swen Pförtner / dpa

The artists write that they have learned from their mistakes: After the scandal at the documenta, the Taring Padi collective responsible for the picture »People's Justice« made a statement.

“We deeply regret the extent to which the imagery of our work has offended so many people.

We apologize to all viewers and staff of documenta fifteen, the public in Germany and especially the Jewish community,” Taring Padi writes on the documenta website.

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• Documenta: The »Judensau« from KasselA column by Thomas Fischer

• Hatred of Jews at Documenta: Welcome to Antisemita 15A column by Sascha Lobo

In the statement, the artists from Indonesia continue: “As a collective of artists who condemn racism of any kind, we are shocked and saddened by the media coverage that describes us as anti-Semitic.

We would like to emphatically reaffirm our respect for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, race, religion, gender or sexuality." They had previously told SPIEGEL that the events in Kassel and how they were dealt with were

a shock for the collective

«.

And further: »We are not anti-Semites.

We don't even know who is judging us here.

We only read it in the newspaper.

is the whole story.)

Taring Padi's work of art has caused a scandal and heated debates in culture and politics in recent days.

The accusation: anti-Semitism.

On the corresponding work, a 20-year-old large poster, anti-Semitic motifs can be seen among many other emblematic depictions, such as SS runes on the black hat of a man who apparently wears a sidelock, a man with a pig's nose is identified as a member of the Mossad expelled.

It had already been covered up on Monday.

After criticism, the Documenta management had the work wrapped up, and now it has been completely removed from the exhibition.

"Like many of our works of art, the banner tries to uncover the complex power relations that lie behind these injustices," the artists now write in their statement.

In particular, it is about the mass murder of more than 500,000 people in Indonesia in 1965, which has not been processed to this day.

However, the imagery used was never created "out of hatred of a specific ethnic or religious group, but as a criticism of militarism and state violence."

nile/dpa