Gabrielle Goliath's Milan exhibition follows Venice Biennale censorship controversy

Gabrielle Goliath's new exhibition at Raffaella Cortese in Milan features previously unseen drawings and paintings, marking a return to these mediums. The show occupies all three of the gallery's spaces on Via Stradella. This Milan presentation follows the international controversy sparked by the cancellation of her work 'Elegy' from the South African Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. That project, intended as a memorial for Palestinian poet Heba Abunada, was excluded, igniting a wide debate on artistic freedom and the political role of cultural institutions. In Milan, Goliath's painted figures explore tensions between fragility and strength, belonging and exclusion. The bodies depicted challenge dominant, historically Eurocentric visual codes, creating a space where marginalized identities find new visibility. Despite the Venice cancellation, the 'Elegy' video will still be shown in Venice during the Biennale's opening days at the Church of Sant'Antonin, supported by Raffaella Cortese. A room in the Milan exhibition includes stills from this video.