"Goliath and curator Ingrid Masondo had argued that South African culture minister Gayton McKenzie overstepped his authority when he cancelled the proposed pavilion exhibition, Elegy, after it was selected by the nonprofit Art Periodic. Their urgent application contended that the minister had no contractual right to veto the appointment and that his decision infringed on Goliath's constitutional right to freedom of expression."
"At the hearing, Goliath argued for the chance to exhibit her ongoing performance piece Elegy, which commemorates the unjust killing of various groups, including women and queer people in South Africa, and victims of atrocities like the Herero and Nama genocide of the early 1900s. She had been preparing to present a new iteration in Venice, curated by Masondo, that would honor Hiba Abu Nada, a Palestinian poet who was killed by an Israeli airstrike in October 2023."
Gabrielle Goliath sought urgent court reinstatement after culture minister Gayton McKenzie cancelled the South African Venice Biennale pavilion project Elegy. Goliath and curator Ingrid Masondo argued the minister lacked contractual authority to veto Art Periodic’s selection and that the cancellation violated Goliath's constitutional freedom of expression. McKenzie called the proposed project divisive and said his department had been misled, terminating its contract with Art Periodic. North Gauteng High Court judge Mamokolo Kubushi dismissed the urgent application without giving reasons and awarded costs to the respondents including the minister. Critics say the cancellation has left South Africa without a pavilion in Venice.
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