South Africa has decided to pull out of the 2026 Venice Biennale after a prolonged conflict regarding an artwork highlighting Palestinian suffering in Gaza. This decision follows a rejection by Gayton McKenzie, the country’s right-wing culture minister, of a pavilion proposal created by artist Gabrielle Goliath and curator Ingrid Masondo. These two were chosen by an independent committee in December to represent South Africa at this prestigious international art exhibition.
Goliath and Masondo had intended to include a performance dedicated to Gaza, aiming to honor the memory of Gazans, such as poet Hiba Abu Nada, who were killed by the Israeli military. Their performance series, Elegy, also sought to address issues like femicide in South Africa and the genocide of Herero and Nama peoples by Germans in early 20th century Namibia. Nonetheless, McKenzie terminated their project in January, asserting that the national pavilion should not highlight contentious global issues unrelated to South Africa’s narrative.
The decision to exclude Goliath and Masondo was met with immediate backlash and claims of censorship. In a statement to Hyperallergic, the artists expressed dismay, stating, “It is nothing short of shameful for the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture to have announced that South Africa will not be presenting a national pavilion at the Venice Biennale this year.” Attempts to get comments from McKenzie’s office have been unsuccessful.
Following the cancellation, Goliath and Masondo pursued legal action against the cultural minister in a South African court, accusing him of unlawfully attempting to suppress their work. However, their case was dismissed earlier this week, with the judge ordering them to cover the government’s legal costs. They plan to appeal, emphasizing the threat this ruling poses to artistic freedom in South Africa.
The removal of the pavilion focused on Gaza seems to contrast with South Africa’s typical stance, as the government has previously taken Israel to the International Court of Justice over alleged genocide in Gaza. Despite the setback, Goliath and Masondo remain defiant, stating, “Elegy sounds a call to mourn, to refuse conditions of disregard and to assert black, brown, indigenous, femme, queer, and trans lives as lovable and grievable. That call will not be silenced.”
