After the discovery of new works of art criticized as anti-Semitic, politicians are again calling for the exhibition to be appraised. The makers refuse. Representatives of Jewish institutions are outraged.
After new criticism of anti-Semitism against documenta fifteen, politicians demand that all works exhibited at the world art show in Kassel be appraised. Representatives of Jewish institutions reacted with outrage to the new finds.
The head of the Anne Frank educational center, Meron Mendel, is, in his own words, “stunned”. “While our educational team at the information stand on Friedrichsplatz is providing information about anti-Semitic imagery, the worst anti-Semitic caricatures are once again becoming known, which the artistic director of the documenta and Ms. Schormann had apparently been pointed out by a visitor weeks ago,” Mendel told the German press -Agency. “I’m honestly stunned that I, as a documenta advisor at the time, was not informed about this and instead was decided on the basis of a legal opinion to leave the problematic works with clearly anti-Semitic imagery in the exhibition.”
Illustrations in brochure from 1988
According to the Research and Information Center for Antisemitism Hessen (RIAS Hessen), a visitor to the exhibition noticed corresponding depictions in the Museum Fridericianum and reported it to RIAS Hessen. The Research and Information Center verified the notification. The “Jewish General” reported first. These are representations in a brochure that was published in Algiers in 1988. The drawings by the Syrian artist Burhan Karkoutly contained in it partly showed anti-Semitic stereotypes and the country of Palestine, provided with classifications that denied the legitimacy of the State of Israel.
“Despite numerous warnings and references, anti-Semitic works were not prevented from being published at the documenta,” said FDP foreign policy expert Frank Müller-Rosentritt. He called for the federal funds to be stopped as long as there was no comprehensive check for anti-Semitic content. The documenta rejects such an approach.
Mendel appeals to artistic direction
Mendel is not satisfied with documenta’s handling of this second case: “The fact that the artistic direction now only wants to contextualize the work instead of waiting for the advice of the new panel of experts that will start work tomorrow does not show that Ruangrupa really takes expert opinions on anti-Semitism seriously takes and respects.” He appealed to the artistic direction to take the pictures out of the exhibition and discuss them with the new panel of experts.
The President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, raised allegations against the new Documenta management. “Either nobody at the documenta is able to recognize anti-Semitism, or nobody is willing to prevent it,” Schuster told the “Bild”. The head of the Central Council criticized the fact that the new head of Documenta was reluctant to use scientific support.
Lindh: Reminds of “typical Nazi caricatures”
Helge Lindh, cultural-political spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag, reminds the depiction “inevitably of typical Nazi caricatures”. Lindh told the “Welt” that he called for “a comprehensive inspection and assessment of the entire inventory of works of art for anti-Semitic motifs by external German and international experts”. Anti-Semitism is “not taken seriously by the documenta management, maybe even tolerated,” criticized Marlene Schönberger, who is responsible for combating anti-Semitism in the Green parliamentary group in the Bundestag. The deputy leader of the Union parliamentary group, Dorothee Bär, said: “Wanting to hide inhuman anti-Semitism under the label of artistic freedom is unacceptable.”
The documenta rejected the allegations after they became known. The historical archive material was temporarily removed from the exhibition around three weeks ago in order to examine it more closely. “According to the investigation, while there is a clear reference to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there is no depiction of Jews ‘as such,'” it said in a statement. The work was classified as not relevant under criminal law. (dpa)