Kassel.
The final report on the anti-Semitism scandal at the Documenta is available. Criticism of the responsibility structure and insufficient preparation.
The Supervisory Board of Documenta has presented the final report of the scientific monitoring of the anti-Semitism scandal. According to this, the committee, chaired by the Frankfurt peace and conflict researcher Nicole Deitelhoff, agreed that four works refer to “anti-Semitic visual codes or convey statements that can or must be interpreted as anti-Semitic”.
The World Art Exhibition took place in Kassel from June 18 to September 25, 2022. “Clear visual anti-Semitic codes” are reportedly found in “People’s Justice” by Taring Padi and a drawing by Naji al-Ali documented in the “Archives des luttes des femmes en Algérie.”
The works “Tokyo Reels”, “Guernica Gaza” and other drawings and maps in the “Archives des luttes des femmes en Algérie” could also “be interpreted as anti-Semitic in the sense of anti-Semitism related to Israel”. On the other hand, the assessments of Burhan Karkutli’s drawings in the “Archives” and “Guernica Gaza” are not entirely congruent. However, an interpretation as anti-Semitic also seems to be well justified here.
The reactions were not appropriate to the seriousness of the situation
According to the report, “the long-heralded conflict over anti-Semitism met with insufficient internal preparations.” Clear responsibility structures were missing, the reactions of the artistic direction and the management were not appropriate to the seriousness of the situation.
Public cultural institutions have a duty to deal with anti-Semitic incidents. “Artistic freedom does not conflict with this duty.”
The hesitant reaction was disturbing for the Jewish community.
As a consequence, the committee proposes, for example, an agreement on definitions and standards for dealing with anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination, as well as strengthening the management’s substantive competencies. The supervisory board would also have to be expanded to include members from the arts and culture sector, and a complaints management system would have to be installed.
The suggestions and recommendations should be included in the investigation
The Mayor of Kassel and Chairman of the Supervisory Board Christian Geselle (SPD) and his deputy, the Hessian Minister of Art Angela Dorn (Greens), called the report a “well-founded and in-depth analysis”. Above all, the supervisory board welcomed the “clear classification of the criticized works of art and the information on the tension between constitutionally protected artistic freedom and responsible handling of anti-Semitic depictions in this context”.
The suggestions and recommendations should feed into the organizational investigation.
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