Documenta cancels antisemitism talks amid controversy over accusations

Documenta has decided to cancel a series of discussions on allegations of antisemitism, titled We need to talk! Art – Freedom – Solidarity, which were set for May, due to an unproductive atmosphere. The Jakarta-based collective Ruangrupa, responsible for curating Documenta fifteen, has rejected all claims of antisemitism. In January, Jonas Dörge, leading the Alliance Against Anti-Semitism Kassel, accused Documenta of including anti-Israeli activists, pointing to committee members who signed a letter opposing Israeli policies. The intended online discussions were meant to explore the role of art in the context of increasing antisemitism, racism, and Islamophobia, featuring critics of Israel such as Eyal Weizman and Hito Steyerl. Ruangrupa asserted that no antisemitic remarks were made and intends to revisit the discussions after the exhibition opens.