Nan Goldin Speaks Out on Censorship at Art Gallery of Ontario

"Artist Nan Goldin accuses the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) of censorship following the revelation that the museum reneged on a joint acquisition of her video artwork " Stendhal Syndrome" (2024) over her public support of Gaza. An internal memo of the 11-9 committee vote during a May 2025 meeting, first reported by the Globe and Mail, indicated that certain members of the acquisitions committee, including AGO trustee Judy Schulich, characterized Goldin's 2024 speech in Berlin in solidarity with Gaza as "offensive" and "antisemitic.""

"The acquisitions committee was referring to Goldin's address at the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin in November 2o24, during the opening reception of the artist's traveling retrospective This Will Not End Well. Goldin, who is Jewish, took to the podium to "amplify [her] position of moral outrage at the genocide in Gaza, in Lebanon," and to criticize Germany's conflation of antisemitism and anti-Zionism."

"The Globe and Mail reported that AGO curator John Zeppetelli, who pitched and advocated for the acquisition to the department's committee, resigned from his staff role following the vote. Three volunteer committee members also reportedly resigned. Per the memo, those who voted in favor of acquiring Goldin's piece expressed that "refusing the work because of the artist's views was censorship," and said that they did not find the artist's remarks at the Neue Nationalgalerie to be antisemitic."

Nan Goldin faced a cancelled joint acquisition from the Art Gallery of Ontario for her video Stendhal Syndrome (2024) after public support for Gaza. An internal acquisitions committee memo recorded an 11-9 vote and noted some members called Goldin's Berlin speech "offensive" and "antisemitic." Goldin, who is Jewish, used a Berlin podium to amplify moral outrage at genocide in Gaza and Lebanon and to criticize Germany's conflation of antisemitism with anti-Zionism. AGO curator John Zeppetelli resigned after advocating for the acquisition; three volunteer committee members also resigned. Supporters of the acquisition called the refusal censorship.

Read at Hyperallergic