Nan Goldin Condemns Gaza War at Berlin Retrospective Opening Amid Protests

During the inauguration of her retrospective at Berlin's Neue Nationalgalerie on Friday night, Nan Goldin criticized the war in Gaza and the suppression of pro-Palestinian views in Germany. The American Jewish photographer remarked that “the word antisemitism has been weaponized” while highlighting the neglect of Islamophobia. Klaus Bisenbach, the museum director and a close friend, expressed disagreement with her stance, upholding Israel's right to exist and denouncing the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023 as a heinous act of terror, yet he supported her freedom of expression. Goldin pointed out that since 7 October, over 180 artists, writers, and educators have faced cancellation, citing a recent German Bundestag resolution tying public funding to the IHRA definition of antisemitism. Claudia Roth, Germany's culture minister, condemned the chants from protestors at the event. The exhibition, titled 'Nan Goldin. This Will Not End Well,' is scheduled to continue until 6 April 2025.