Candice Breitz renames video installation to protest NGV's security contractor Wilson Security

Video artist Candice Breitz has issued a statement protesting the National Gallery of Victoria's use of Wilson Security as its security contractor for the inaugural NGV Triennial in Melbourne, citing the company's involvement in Australia's offshore immigration detention centers. In response, Breitz has temporarily renamed her major video installation, Love Story, to Wilson Must Go for its exhibition at the NGV Triennial from 15 December 2017 to 15 April 2018, and for any future showings on Australian soil until the gallery ends its relationship with Wilson Security. The work, acquired by the NGV for the Triennial, features interviews with six individuals who fled oppressive conditions, aligning with the exhibition's theme of 'Movement.' Breitz's action echoes protests by artists at the 2014 Sydney Biennial against sponsor Transfield Services, which also managed detention centers. She emphasized that the title change is a gesture of solidarity with refugees and asylum seekers, and she invites other Triennial artists to rename their works similarly. The NGV has assured Breitz that its contract with Wilson Security is temporary and that a tendering process for a permanent contractor is advanced. Love Story is scheduled to appear next at Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg from 1 February to 10 March 2018 and at Cleveland's FRONT Triennial in July 2018. Breitz's full statement was published on 13 December 2017, dated 12 December 2017 from Melbourne.