Adam Broomberg condemns Hamburg antisemitism commissioner's allegations as dangerous

Adam Broomberg has rejected claims made by Stefan Hensel, Hamburg's antisemitism commissioner, asserting that these allegations pose a threat to his safety. Hensel's criticism followed the University of Fine Arts Hamburg's decision to appoint ruangrupa members Reza Afisina and Iswanto Hartono, who were curators for Documenta. In an October Instagram post, Hensel accused Broomberg of legitimizing terrorism against Jews and expressed to Die Zeit that the artist appears to harbor animosity towards Israel. Broomberg, who was part of the duo nominated for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize in 2013, supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and refers to legal definitions to classify Israel as an apartheid state. Hensel, who took office in July 2021, connected Broomberg to antisemitic BDS initiatives and criticized Documenta curators for their negative depictions of Jews. Broomberg cautioned that such discourse could lead to real-world violence.