Protests Against Carl Andre's Exhibitions Highlight Ana Mendieta's Death and Institutional Controversies

In 2016, protesters gathered outside Tate Modern's Switch House opening, holding signs accusing Carl Andre of killing Ana Mendieta in 1985. Mendieta fell from the window of their New York apartment during a drunken argument, a death that divided the art community. Judge Alvin Schlesinger later admitted Andre 'probably did it' but cited reasonable doubt. Andre was acquitted of second-degree murder. Protests also occurred at Dia Art Foundation in 2014 and 2015, organized by Christen Clifford, who staged cry-ins and referenced Mendieta's work with chicken guts and fake blood. Liv Wynter organized the Tate protest, resigning from Tate Modern in March 2018 after comments by director Maria Balshaw. Critics like Coco Fusco and Jane Blocker argue that focusing on Mendieta's victimhood overshadows her art. Mendieta's work is now in 57 public collections, including the Guggenheim and Tate, with exhibitions at Gropius Bau, Berlin, and Brooklyn Museum in 2018. The case remains a flashpoint for debates on gender, race, and institutional accountability.