Documenta 16 Curator Naomi Beckwith Says Some Artists Declined to Participate Due to Germany’s Stance on Gaza

Naomi Beckwith, the curator of the forthcoming edition of Documenta, said some artists had already declined to participate in the exhibition because of Germany’s stance on Israel’s war in Gaza.

Documenta, which is staged every five years in Kassel, Germany, is one of the most prestigious recurring art exhibitions in the world. But ever since the controversy that faced the last edition, in 2022, the show has faced bitter criticism, with many alleging that politicians’ accusations of antisemitism at the exhibition were born of an attempt to crack down on pro-Palestine art.

The controversy has also impacted Documenta 16, whose entire curatorial selection committee resigned en masse in 2023. Beckwith, the Guggenheim Museum’s deputy director and chief curator, was chosen as Documenta 16’s organizer in 2024.

In an expansive interview with the German publication Die Zeit, Beckwith spoke at length about the making of her Documenta, whose theme has yet to be revealed.

She said there had been “a few” artists who rejected her invitation to participate. Asked why, she said, “Some have the impression that they are not free in Germany to show what they want to show. Others criticize the stance that Germany has taken on the Gaza war.”

Then, asked to clarify her own stance on the war, she added, “Far more important than my personal stance is the question of how we can overcome this divisive way of thinking. How can we get the conversation going again?” Moreover, she said, “I understand the need for solidarity and support, but we won’t get anywhere with entrenched positions.”

Beckwith also directly spoke about a controversial Documenta 15 artwork by the Indonesian collective Taring Padi, who exhibited a large mural that featured a Mossad agent as an antisemitic caricature. The mural, one of the most highly visible works in that edition, was covered before being removed altogether.

“I’m sure something like that won’t happen again. We’ve learned a lot since then,” Beckwith said, adding, “Taring Padi didn’t understand the importance of protecting the Jewish community in this country. And the curators of ruangrupa, whose openness I greatly admire, may not have been prepared for that either.”

Documenta has since adopted measures that it has said will prevent similar contentiousness, including adopting new language about antisemitism in its code of conduct. Controversially, Documenta’s explication of antisemitism relies on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition, which considers criticism of Israel a form of prejudice.

Die Zeit noted that Beckwith never signed that code of conduct, to which she responded, “I wasn’t asked to do it.”