Curator’s ‘antisemitic’ posts lead to cancellation of German Photography Biennial

The Biennale für aktuelle Fotografie, a contemporary photography exhibition based in Germany, has been canceled following accusations of antisemitism related to social media posts by one of the curators. The cities of Mannheim, Ludwigshafen, and Heidelberg in Germany, where the event was scheduled to take place, deemed the content as "antisemitic". The Biennale was originally slated to open in March 2024.

As initially reported by the Art Newspaper, Shahidul Alam, a Bangladeshi photojournalist and co-curator of the event, posted content on social media that officials characterised as having the potential to be interpreted as "antisemitic". The posts included comparisons between Israel's assault on Northern Gaza and the Holocaust, as well as accusations against Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinian people.

Authorities in the three German cities, Mannheim, Ludwigshafen, and Heidelberg, stated in a release that their "relationship of trust" with Shahidul Alam "has been severely damaged" due to his social media posts.

As reported by the Art Newspaper, organisers from the host cities reached out to Shahidul Alam and his two co-curators, Tanzim Wahab and Munem Wasif, to address the concerns surrounding the social media posts, "in order to sensitise the curators to Germany's special historical responsibility for the state of Israel and its right to exist."

Despite the concerns raised, Shahidul Alam persisted in sharing his views on social media. "[He] sees himself as an activist and demands freedom of expression," the organisers said. Wahab and Wasif, in response, declined to be involved in the biennial if Shahidul Alam was excluded from participating.

"The consequences of the cancellation for the Biennale für aktuelle Fotografie and the organising team are far-reaching. They jeopardise the future of the entire event. In the time ahead, we will do everything in our power to maintain the Biennale as one of the largest and most important photography events in Germany and Europe in the long term," the organisers stated. 

The future of the biennale faces additional jeopardy following the announcement earlier this year that the German chemicals company BASF would be withdrawing its sponsorship of the event.

As per a press release, the cities and the exhibition's board members are, "holding talks with the invited artists, curators and advisors in an endeavour to find target-oriented solutions."

Earlier this month, the complete selection committee of Documenta resigned, beginning with Israeli artist and philosopher Bracha L. Ettinger and Indian poet and critic Ranjit Hoskote. The remaining four members of the selection committee—Simon Njami, Gong Yan, Kathrin Rhomberg, and María Inés Rodríguez—also stepped down last week. In a statement, they mentioned that, "in the current circumstances we do not believe that there is a space in Germany for an open exchange of ideas and the development of complex and nuanced artistic approaches that documenta artists and curators deserve."