As an organization dedicated to defending freedom of artistic expression, AICA expresses grave concern over the recent occurrence at the Royal Ontario Museum, in Canada, involving artist Jenin Yaseen. Days before the scheduled opening of an exhibition titled Death: Life’s Great Mystery, examining different cultural traditions of mourning and burial, the artist was contacted by ROM staff who asked her to alter specific works out of fear they would inflame tensions around the hostilities in Israel and Palestine. The museum then proceeded to interfere with the works, substituting words and cropping an image. After the artist protested by staging a sit-in inside the exhibition, the museum reversed its decision and decided to show the original works accompanied by a disclaimer. The ROM subsequently issued an apology for causing “pain and frustration”, a fact that underscores how arbitrary and precipitated its actions were in the first place.
When museums cannot be relied upon to defend the artists they exhibit and safeguard works of art in their care, but instead engage in censorship and iconoclasm, we have reached a point at which their core institutional mission is at risk. Recent cancellations and postponements of exhibitions at other venues (e.g., Islamic Art at the Frick Pittsburgh, last week; Vkhutemas at the Cooper Union, New York, in February; Philip Guston at Tate Modern, London, in 2020) point to a worrying tendency to sacrifice artistic values to political expediency. In all three cases, the cultural significance of the works is amply recognized, and their historical meaning is uncontroversial. Yet, the respective institutions chose to pratice self-censorship for fear of offending those who would misinterpret their intentions.
AICA believes fervently that the purpose of exhibitions is to make art and culture accessible to those who wish to partake in them. Challenging assumptions, instigating debate and promoting dialogue rank among the most cherished goals of free artistic expression. Fearfulness serves no one except those who seek to control the thoughts of others through intimidation. We call on exhibition venues and cultural professionals everywhere to stand their ground against political belligerence and moral panic. If we do not stand up for art and artists, who will?
On behalf of AICA,
Lisbeth Rebollo GONÇALVES
President of AICA
Rafael CARDOSO
Chair of Censorhip & Freedom of Expression Committee