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invited to exhibit their work here. but this year's event was different. very few big names, lots of collective, some countries that barely have an art market, an art intended to make the world a better place. sounds great, right? so what else wasn't store for visitors? classes, i didn't think these negates over took plastic anti semitism. being neat about it with thought, these are the masterminds of document 15. there were one group of art collective as legendary in indonesia. it was conceived more than 20 years ago in the capital jakarta, not long after sort of dictatorship ended. the country was reeling rwanda,

but wanted to try something new to network artists and foster mutual support. that's what the group continues to do today. organizing exhibitions and festivals based on the idea that art should be relevant to the society in which it is created . and that the collective is more important than the individual. castles, cons, tyler, frederick fiano, is the document as main benya. putting a radical asian artists collective in charge of curating this years event was always going to be a divisive decision. many welcome to it, but there are also concerns would document 15 take aim at western societies at their lifestyles at the art market. we come here or is a collective coming promo on think sofa indonesia, which is always called global south. we don't come yet to change money. come here to bring the best, what we consider the best from old practice in then what we hope our expectation is actually that up to look them in the 5th team. we want to keep on experimenting the

way to sharing resources in working together. um, in order to sustain together, also brand rupa and it's international team of advisors, are committed to art that's not produced for a market that aims to have an impact on society. and it knows no stars and no hierarchies. the collective sees it's task documented not to curate, but to invite artists with similar approaches to their work. we don't comission works. we don't us, we don't use the classical approach or conventional approach of curating is because wrong hoopla, we, none of us were a train, ezekiel ether. if people call us loretta, we don't cook these ice, but we never call our santa fe security of a fresh, groundbreaking approach. if only it weren't for the anti semitism accusations against the one group a collective that emerged months before the official opening as well as allegations

that some of its members supported, the anti israeli b d. s movement and complaints that no israeli, but several, palestinian artists were invited in castle and in berlin. the issue was initially play down with management, implying there was nothing to the claims documentary organizers insisted they under germany special responsibility regarding the issue of anti semitism is named. he thought we take germany's responsibility very seriously once and we are addressing it and the, and the artists here have also been dealing with him very closely with his under the entire approach of this documentary is directed towards the future. and that is why bend preoccupation with gemini, to hostile it's just simply not been front and center. i'm talking to does t my cookies. thank hello. 2 0, no,

the opening in june 2022 was a major event. so was all the fuss, forgotten? until the very last minute, the artist of the indonesian tarring potty collective were working on their cardboard figures on the central fredericks plots. where shortly after the official opening, the 9 by 12 metre, people's justice banner was to be hung. when it was finally unveiled, a scandal erupted a 20 year old work, recalling the former indonesian president so otto's reign of terror as well as the regimes. international helpers such as the israeli secret service. and this was depicted with the worst imaginable anti semitic stereotypes. a soldier with a pigs face and an orthodox jew with bangs and s s. ruins on his hat. there was an outcry.

first the artists covered up the large format picture that didn't solve the problem . 2 days later, the banner was removed and the huge frame dismantled gamete target took, took it to them to let boa, ah, putting out that we were shot, that what we have experienced in developing countries could also happen in developed countries up on the money cover. it means that there is no difference in how people look at a work of arts. how young bernacki, the allow me to gotten in the got up or when there is a sensitive issue, the data, but there is no dialogue or anything else. the artwork is simply dismantled, visited the guy that i say to sense episcopal den to put what at the i looked online like the golden understand secrecy to lu. i'm part of that at our local documentary, had the very anti semitism debate on its hands. it had explicitly been warned about

the international press took note, but still no one took responsibility. the public was horrified. how could this happen in the country that had murdered millions of european jews? where preventing all forms of anti semitism is a haze on data? the president of the central council of jews in germany was appalled to meet under committees was made for me. anti semitism is inhumane, no matter whether in indonesia or germany, of course and, and to jewish. anti israeli stereotypes are sadly common in some countries in the country like germany, with its history and its responsibility. this should never be allowed. stockton promoting anti semitism in art exhibitions with states with tax money is not acceptable. israeli german met on mental deals with his issue professionally. as director of the anne frank educational center and frankfort, his his job to mediate and promote dialogue,

he offered to serve as an advisor to help the documentary identify other anti semitic works. this thin fall on the ship and how often when done a, this is a shambles and all we can do is look ahead. sure. the time will come when will need to look at what went wrong. ha, that now we need to take a constructive approach and ensure we look at the problematic. i work that are still there, had very closely good nowadays, but will box them. but that's precisely what for weeks. no one seemed interested in doing the document. his board went missing in action, even when more works were deemed to be anti semitic. for instance, guerra nika, gaza, a series of paintings by palestinian artist mohammed al, watch re copies of photos of his railey soldiers and the style of the old masters. the pictures themselves are more anti israeli than anti semitic,

but the series title grand nika gaza equates the destruction of the basque town of where nica by the german looked boffa in 1937 with israeli settlement policy. such distortions may serve the narrative of palestinian extremists. then, in an exhibition mounted by an algerian women's archive, a brochure withdrawing showing his railey soldiers threatening a child was found. is it anti semitic to the document to says no, but an explanatory text is now placed alongside it in it. the collective explains that their historical document and the criticism of the israeli occupation is not synonymous with anti semitism. in another exhibition space, the artists collective subversive film shows pro palestinian propaganda films from the 1960 seventy's and eighty's films, the depict israel, and it's military solely as aggressors. nowhere does it say who produced these films for fusion, mr. happening firsthand. 5 years ago. you couldn't even have imagined something

like this. now though you hear such things more and more often, and i think it's very important that society, politician of the media and culture itself put up some resistance to commend. imagine the documentary still today giving voice to palestinians, terrorists on a loop in a country, marking the 50th anniversary of the munich olympics massacre. in no way can i accept letting palestinian terrorist speak to kind of i say, to the resulting public pressure forced the head of the document to resign. and an interim general manager took over alexander, fought and holds, who'd manage the art exhibition 30 years ago. but he too, didn't want to take down or remove anything, preferring to leave the decision about what was anti semitic to a newly formed advisory board as it is and to give us. gov of the only thing we can all agree on very quickly is that anti semitism has no place at

a documentary. but what that means now as miss, i see the point that's being debated. and i think this part of the debate is very productive because it's also taking place within the jewish community. i think, you know, from community stuff. nonetheless, it is. so, and i noticed this in personal discussions to that in the jewish community. people feel distressed or even hurt by the occurrences which have taken place in castle and that heaping them from visiting castle via aiden did catholics of his, over the challenges of appointing, a collective of artistic directors who don't define themselves. as curators had become clear, i had a dime a want publicly apologized in the name of ruin. rupert ok yet, didn't accept responsibility. we are here. the collective believes germans sensitivities blew the matter up into an anti semitism scandal. the artists from the collective tiring party fear for their reputation. they're still being

criticized in the media on twitter and elsewhere. i've done a double major and, and done this boosted and done on this. i mean, this is the indonesian that the how general c l m, the issue of anti semitism is rarely mentioned. to me, this is the one we've done. so we don't know detail exactly what the issue is. ha, that's it. or if there is a specific no, in germany, more about the local mo, kenman deputy roonan. yeah. i because we are indonesian so that we don't know in detail. he thought what the issue is and he said be done with the whole. is it what were alluding to do is he got a violent conflict on the length of we can say, oh annette quickly, i'd rather you to go that trying party is not. and t submits a thing going ganga. santa. towering. pardon? my background is about always open to diversity because that is law. luther is

a human rights chairman garden. i to her as i see my museum. and it's exactly what the members of talking party have been fighting for over the past 2 decades. human rights, the recognition of religious and ethnic minorities, more democracy, and freedom of expression and against racism. they see themselves as artists, but also as activists. they feel the accusations of anti semitism are an attack on their whole identity. how anti semitic is the documentary? that's what the expert panel was tasked with finding out. it statement published 2 weeks before the end of the show was devastating. both for one rupa and for the exhibitions decision makers. it becomes clear that the serious problems of the document 15 can says not only in the presentation of isolated works with anti semitic imagery and statements, but also in a curatorial, an organizational structural environment that has allowed an anti zionist anti semitic, and anti israel sentiment. the experts called for immediate action and an instant

stop to the showing of palestinian propaganda phelps through the debate made it look like most of the works on display or anti semitic. as a result, many artists feel they have wrongly been cast under a cloud of suspicion. they are said to be around $1500.00 artists and activists at the document. but there might be even more than that, since the artists and collectives invited in turn invited others romanian artists. don payoff ski is one of the few internationally known participants in front of castles, main train station. he produces his daily horizontal newspaper, featuring drawings and texts on the state of the world. and the latest from the documentary, it inevitably leads to conversations with pastors by. that's how he sees the role

of art taking a stand and having an impact on society. it's what he did while living under ceausescu communist regime in romania before its collapse in 1989 as an artist whose exhibited in the world leading museums. how does he see his role at this year's documentation? i'm a good translator between this was the global saw than the western world because i do not belong to any of course my, my training is west them all odd, hastily, boys, whatever. but i also learned from them from other parts of the world. i was in australia, i was a masha asia law. i law not the point of view so i can, i think i can do the bridge. and i think probably this is one of the these i got invited to you, dan patch off skis main work at the document. a 15 can be seen on the columns of the free to reach the on, on a building dating back to the 18th century. and the nucleus of the whole show again,

comments and cartoon like drawings meant to illustrate the values of this is exhibition. don payoff ski applauds ron group for introducing the idea of a mutually supportive art scene to the documentary. this is the how this people are living in their countries. there's no aud marquetto, so have to you resist economically. if you are in a, in a network or group, i need to. busy workshops and know and sell a t shirt and you know, so you have to invent an economy to exist. so, and i think they teach us very well now because the wind that is coming here, right, the money will go to panza now. so the culture body will be caught, so we have to collaborate is the damper, just ski shrugs off the suggestion that the document to 15 was overshadowed by a debate a scandal about anti semitism. this is justin that me that there's no scandal here . comment is it obviously the scandal is unsettling. the artists don't want it to

eclipse their message. ah, to meet with russian artist victoria la moscow. we have to cross town in the residential area of baton house and is not necessarily what you would expect to find art. the catholic church of saint connie goodness has stood empty for years. during the document 15, it hosts my cobb looking multimedia sculptures by the haitian collective artist races, tops representing christian figures of saint some with human skulls that evoke rituals. victoria la moscow wanted to meet us here because she's fascinated by these pictures in the churchyard. she shows us the work she made during the document of 15. le moscow refers to herself as a graphic, journalist,

and in russia her drawings have always been critical of pollutants politics. she fled her home at the beginning of the train war. in castle, she calls herself a harvest moon, recording her observations and conversations. my goal, it's more to fly in the sun to pro creative as an ordinary jordan. but to assume go home to support each other and coal to share experience. and it's a big challenge for me to talk in english views, artists from indonesia, from when you're i've this com that is from of it come, come with it is at this moment. so i knew it. i need you can still voice in the middle. of course,

she also asked questions about the anti semitism debate. in her talks with fellow artists, you understand the situation. i ha, i still ask song in you wanna answer assumptions. gloves is, you know, you don't want the drool balloons. video life is saluted a wound george, when you saw just say them. so pickable too many of the artists she has met with come from a different cultural background and offer a different take on the debate. her own story, her fear of reprisals or even arrest has not been a theme of her work here. but it might be once the document is over. okay. wow, alice yard, a self described ard in performance space network was founded in 2006. the yard is

traditionally a space where neighbors and residents gather, which anyone can use. alice yard picks up on his tradition. a couple of artist friends started out by setting up a kind of artist's workshop, a space to make contacts and find inspiration from one another. kristin chen found his way to the group when he returned to port of spain after studying design in the united states. for me though, as a person who has a practice no, was in search of his space and kind of arrive than he came. you know, some thing that i don't know if i chose, but it was present and there was something that i had access to um and allowed me to, oh, so via the have conversations and work with other artists that i did not know when i, when i moved back home after education. i'm so it quickly became, you know, a network of, of, of, of creatives. oh, trinidad is the southernmost island of the west indies and home to many immigrants

and many descendants of former slaves. so colonialism and its effects have always been a major topic, making our here is a challenge. the international art market has tended to overlook trinidad, the invitation to the document. it came as a complete surprise to christopher kos. yay. an artist and founding member of alice yard. you know, when i was a student, as a young person in the u. s. you know, document, there was something that sort of grim ah, you know, sort of white meals would grumpy faces did some way in the world, you know, and as a broad body, i could, i'd best be an eloquent voice, but not actually participate in this conversation. the alice guard artists exhibit their works appropriately enough in a yard behind a bar in castle and they've invited artists from their network to join them. here. one is performance artist, louis vasquez laroche who's brought to germany. traditions from a caribbean, carnivals that are deeply rooted in trinidad,

its own colonial history. the crack of the whip here surf to parody the cruel slave driver. the document is not so much the place to enhance one's market value as to exchange ideas with other artists by interpreting themes close to their hearts and minds. that's what the alex guard artists are enjoying most dino. psych fit. it hasn't come to the document as an artist, but as a member of a research collective offering education in the arts in africa. another road map africa cluster is a network of activists dedicated to illuminating the continents colonial history. many stories, languages, and even identities have been defined by the former colon, all powers one of i, key interests is dealing with our colonial goose, says we call them. this is something that basically brings us all together. and because there are so many complexities that come with the residue of colonial, etc,

on the continent, we're trying still to see how to activate archives, explore history, and pave ways forward through that. even our own understanding of cells as members within the collective document to offer an opportunity for this collective from various african countries to continue their school textbook project workshops where these topics are discussed are open to the public. so factor is only sad. the discussions at the document to 15 have been overshadowed by the anti semitism issue . it has been a huge part of, of document 15. those no way of escaping it. bad at her and i thought to speak too much on that because it's such a loaded topic. and personally, i feel like this is a more internal thing and i'm the visitor here and therefore i really like. yeah,

i mean i sympathize with some of the things that had been said on both sides. people have experienced violence and there are a lot of feelings. it's grounds to have an honest and open conversation. but that's going to be a difficult conversation. and i wonder if all the parties involved are ready for that moment of being honest and gender enough. i think with artists from any parts of the world that are rarely represented in the art world. the document 15 brings to gather political art and traditional art heart by ethnic groups that might never hang in a museum. hundreds of thousands of visitors don't want to miss the opportunity to see it. the document is interim managing director already see the exhibition as

a success. that will resonate twice a go back in the here. i don't think that have been many such mild stein hasn't been that document us history. a milestone moran group has approach may indeed resonate in the long term. their efforts to network artists and support local communities could meet with some success or even eventually change concepts of art. but in their task, as curators, they undoubtedly failed either overlooking blatant anti semitism or redefining it as artistic freedom is reckless at best. in an open letter, ron group a, along with other document artists rejected the experts, criticism. we are angry, we are sad, we are tired, we are united the document began with a good idea, but ended in irreconcilable differences. the dialogue between the global south and the global north that was supposed to take place barely got started. and as an

institution, it's been seriously damaged. some critics or even wondering if germany's most renowned art exhibition can survive, it needs a reboot for sure. with a new team that takes the curator's task seriously and will have to prove that the message that shook the art world to its core has been received and understood. ah ah . with

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