- documenta
In yesterday's article in the Süddeutsche Zeitung Nicht schon wieder, Documenta (Not again, Documenta), Nele Pollatschek reports that a statement considered closely affiliated with the BDS movement was signed by member of the documenta 16 Finding Committee Ranjit Hoskoté. This was the "Statement against consulate general of Israel, Mumbai's event on Hindutva and Zionism" dated August 26, 2019.
Commenting on this matter Andreas Hoffmann said the following: "The signing of the above statement by a member of the Finding Committee of the Artistic Direction of documenta 16 is not in the least acceptable to us at documenta und Museum Fridericianum gGmbH due to its explicitly anti-Semitic content. We were not aware of Ranjit Hoskoté's signature under the statement from 2019 until yesterday. Likewise, we were not even aware of the statement itself.
Addressing the anti-Semitic misconduct at documenta 15 is a very serious matter for us: It was an essential requirement of the shareholders that the Finding Committee should have no BDS affiliations, and this was explicitly conveyed to the former Artistic Directors entrusted with the task of setting up the Finding Committee (see Statement of the former Artistic Directors of documenta on the proposal for the appointment of the documenta 16 finding committee).
Before taking up their committee work all six members of the Finding Committee made an unambiguous declaration to documenta und Museum Fridericianum gGmbH and explicitly distanced themselves from the BDS movement."
Following the press report in the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Ranjit Hoskoté stated to documenta und Museum Fridericianum gGmbH that by signing the declaration in 2019, he had particularly opposed Hindutva extremism, which is avowedly inspired by Nazism and fascism. He had dedicated his life to rejecting authoritarian ideologies. Meanwhile, he has spoken out publicly and clearly against any cultural boycott of Israel. He rejects the goals of the BDS movement and does not support the movement. In particular after October 7, 2023, following Hamas' terror in Israel and its consequences, his thoughts are with both the Jewish and the Palestinian people, with the suffering civilian population in Israel and Palestine.
This statement made to documenta und Museum Fridericianum gGmbH gives us reason to discuss more extensive questions with the member of the Finding Committee.