In November 2023, an exhibition by Candice Breitz was canceled by the Saarland Museum’s Modern Gallery. The organizers wanted to avoid associating with the South African artist, claiming she had signed a letter by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, labeled by Germany’s government as “antisemitic”, and that she had not condemned the October 7 terror attacks by Hamas.
Breitz has repeated many times since then that both allegations are false, most recently at a panel discussion on the impact of Germany’s particular stance on BDS, held September 8 at Berlin’s International Literature Festival (ilb). Although she supports the democratic right to boycott, she said, she is not a BDS supporter and has never signed any of the movement’s letters.
And as the artist wrote on Instagram even before the museum’s decision was made: “It is possible to fully condemn Hamas (as I do, unequivocally), while nevertheless supporting the broader Palestinian struggle for freedom from oppression, discrimination and occupation.”
One more thing made Breitz’s case particularly emblematic: she is Jewish. …more