Resolve Collective has announced to walk out of an exhibition at Barbican Centre, London, citing ‘anti-Palestinian’ censorship.
Resolve Collective, a group of design artists, are currently showcasing their exhibition titled ‘Them’s the Breaks’ at the Barbican Centre. The expansive 295-foot installation, which includes a library, a stage, and many other things, has received considerable praise among the British art community.
However, on Wednesday, the group released a statement announcing they would stop their exhibition at the museum with immediate effect. The statement cited ‘anti-Palestinian censorship’ as the primary factor behind the move. In particular, the group recanted a recent incident when the museum instructed Radio AlHara – a Palestinian radio station – to avoid discussing the subject of a free Palestine in detail. While this was the pushing blow, the group confessed that there were many other factors at play, which “included: hostility towards close family and friends at the exhibition opening; heavy-handed and overly-suspicious treatment when entering our exhibition with a group of other Black and Brown artists; and being publicly deprecated whilst ushered out of our exhibition space at the end of Gut Level’s Cute and Sexy North rave on Saturday 3rd June (whilst the exhibition’s curator and producer remained inside).”
Also Read: 2024 Berlin Biennale Gets Postponed Amid ‘Biennale Saturation’
While the exhibition has been closed with immediate effect, the group aims to remove all the materials from the gallery by June 26. They also plan to host a closing sale to sell off these materials by July 3. Claire Spender (CEO, Barbican Centre) and William Gompertz (museum’s artistic director) released a joint statement, admitting that the group faced some ‘unacceptable experiences’ at the museum and the museum supports their decision to leave.
