Central Council: Not considered for documenta

Created: 04/28/2022Updated: 04/28/2022, 20:07

A sign "documenta fifteen" can be seen in front of the Museum Fridericianum.

© Swen Pförtner/dpa/archive image

Alongside the Venice Biennale, the documenta in Kassel is regarded as the most important presentation of contemporary art.

But the big culture show is not free of politics.

The documenta rejects allegations of anti-Semitism.

Berlin/Kassel - In a passionate letter to Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth, the President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, criticized the way the documenta dealt with the topic of anti-Semitism.

"Only clear confessions and much more, decisive political action at every level of politics, art, culture and society help against anti-Semitism," says the letter to the Green politician, which is available to the German Press Agency in Berlin.

"No one may acquit themselves of this responsibility - not even in the name of artistic freedom."

The background to this are allegations of anti-Semitism against documenta fifteen in Kassel at the beginning of the year.

An alliance had accused the curatorial collective Ruangrupa of including organizations that supported the cultural boycott of Israel or were anti-Semitic in the exhibition.

Ruangrupa and the documenta society rejected the allegations.

The documenta supervisory board and Roth also backed the makers of the most important presentation for contemporary art next to the Venice Biennale.

As a result, an expert forum was announced to debate "the fundamental right of artistic freedom in the face of rising racism and anti-Semitism and increasing Islamophobia".

The three-part digital event series entitled “We need to talk!

Art - Freedom - Solidarity” will take place from May 8th.

The documenta wants to "create the framework for a multi-perspective debate beyond one-sided antagonisms," said General Director Sabine Schormann in the announcement.

In this context, “contradictions should be endured and discussed productively”.

Central Council President Schuster criticized, among other things, the occupation of the forums.

"For me, the orientation of the podiums has a clear bias against anti-Semitism," says the letter to Roth.

The intention should be to address antisemitism in general and antisemitism related to Israel.

"In this context, I was also surprised that the topic of anti-Palestinian racism found its way into the program," writes Schuster.

He couldn't see any connection here.

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The Central Council does not see itself sufficiently taken into account.

"We have asked several times to be involved here as the umbrella organization of the Jewish community in Germany with our expertise." Despite repeated requests to the documenta management, this did not happen.

The criticism is also aimed at Roth.

"Unfortunately, we were not informed about the further progress from your house either," it says.

"We could have raised all of these objections if those responsible had been interested in a real exchange and in incorporating the perspective of the Jewish community," Schuster explains his criticism.

"However, this was not the case, which is why I am addressing you today with these clear words."

He also emphasized "that there can be no "open" debate on anti-Semitism for Jews in Germany".

It also does not apply, as announced in the program for the forums, to endure contradictions.

According to a spokesman for Roth, the Minister of State for Culture "knows that she is united with the Central Council of Jews and all Jews in the fight against anti-Semitism".

That is why the accusations against the documenta were taken seriously from the start and discussions were sought with both those responsible for the documenta and the Central Council of Jews.

Roth is still "in talks and in close contact with Mr. Schuster personally, as well as the Central Council of Jews and the documenta".

"Protecting this freedom of art is the task of all state agencies," it said in the statement for the dpa.

"This also includes accepting positions that you personally do not agree with." You will have to get an idea of ​​this when the documenta program is known.

"This makes the direct discussion and dialogue between the Central Council and documenta all the more necessary, as well as the international discussion that documenta will now lead."

From the perspective of documenta, there is no place for anti-Semitism.

The series of events is "a critical and multi-perspective series of talks, which is designed from an in-depth study and also from great concern about increasing anti-Semitism and racism in our society," said a statement for the dpa.

"The recurring problems for internationally active cultural and scientific institutions in dealing with internationally controversial definitions of anti-Semitism" and "the origins of the generalizing and sometimes racist attacks on the artistic team of documenta fifteen" would also be discussed.

The guests were invited "not because they belong to an official institution, but exclusively on the basis of their scientific expertise".

Working out the differences and overlaps between anti-Semitism and racism is a topic of the series of events.

"In this way, the question of whether postcolonial theory misjudges the specificity of anti-Semitism is also addressed," it said.

“As with documenta fifteen, there is no place for anti-Semitism.

There is also no platform for generalized statements about people with a Muslim or other background, such as those expressed in the attacks on documenta fifteen.” Beyond the series of talks, the documenta will also address the complex of topics from different sides.

dpa