South Africa Cancels Gaza Biennale Proposal
South Africa Cancels Venice Biennale Exhibit Addressing Gaza Crisis
South Africa has withdrawn a performance artwork selected to represent the nation at the 2026 Venice Biennale, citing concerns it would amplify divisive global disputes instead of focusing on South Africa’s own story. the decision impacts an exhibit intended to mourn victims of the conflict in Gaza, among othre tragedies.
Artist Gabrielle goliath and curator Ingrid Masondo proposed Elegy,based on Goliath’s decade-long vocal performance series,for the Biennale. An independent committee chose the project in December. Though,the Department of Sport,arts and Culture,under Minister Gayton McKenzie,founder of the Patriotic Alliance party,ultimately rejected the artwork,according to reporting from Daily Maverick.
Goliath’s performance was designed to address the “unfolding crisis of displacement and death in Gaza,” as well as the killing of Palestinian poet Hiba Abu Nada. It also planned to connect these events to the femicide crisis in South Africa and the Herero and Nama genocide in Namibia.
“We need to use our platforms to sell our country to the world,” a spokesperson for the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture told Hyperallergic, explaining the decision to prioritize a presentation focused on South Africa.
McKenzie reportedly objected to the artwork’s content regarding Israel and Gaza, deeming it “highly divisive” in an internal letter in December. He threatened to withdraw South Africa from the Biennale if the work wasn’t removed,a move the selection committee called unconstitutional. The committee defended its original decision in a January 8 open letter.
More data about Gabrielle Goliath’s work can be found on her website. Background on the conflict in Gaza is available from the BBC.