"Genocide wants no witness. Genocide wants to elude the name. On December 29, 2023, South Africa initiated proceedings against Israel at the International Court of Justice, charging it with committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. South Africa did what no other nation would. And by doing so, South Africa exposed itself to the possibility of retaliation on a global scale. What is most surprising is to see that retaliation come from inside the house of the South African state."
"Breaking with the South African government's official policy on the Israeli genocide of Palestinians, South Africa's Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie can only be described as going rogue. McKenzie's apparent unilateral decision to cancel Elegy, a video installation by Gabrielle Goliath, as the South African pavilion selection for the upcoming 61st Venice Biennale is a shock to all who are invested in witnessing how artists will respond to the ongoing genocide, as we mourn, grieve, and together develop forms of care, solidarity, and survivance."
On December 29, 2023, South Africa brought proceedings against Israel at the International Court of Justice, accusing it of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. That unprecedented action exposed South Africa to potential global retaliation. Unexpectedly, retaliation appeared to originate within South Africa when Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie unilaterally canceled Elegy, a video installation by Gabrielle Goliath, selected for the 61st Venice Biennale. The selection committee, which had chosen Goliath unanimously, issued an open letter rejecting coercion, censorship, and intimidation and defending artistic autonomy while emphasizing mourning, solidarity, and cultural survivance.
Read at Hyperallergic
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