Documenta 15 Selection Committee Defends Ruangrupa Amid Antisemitism Controversy

The original selection committee for Documenta 15 has defended the Indonesian group ruangrupa, who are curating the Kassel festival, amid backlash over an antisemitic image in a Taring Padi piece. The artwork, titled 'People's Justice' (2002), shows a soldier with a pig's head wearing a Star of David scarf and a helmet labeled 'Mossad,' alongside a caricature of a Jew with sidelocks and SS symbols. The committee, which includes Amar Kanwar and Frances Morris, published an open letter clarifying the difference between criticizing Israel and antisemitism, while expressing empathy for the hurt caused but reaffirming their support for ruangrupa. They praised the exhibition as 'generous, thought-provoking, joyful, and welcoming.' Calls for the resignation of general director Sabine Schormann and culture minister Claudia Roth have surfaced.