Israel artist shuts Biennale show until ceasefire, hostages freed

The artist representing Israel at the Venice Biennale called for a ceasefire in the war with Hamas and said her exhibit would remain closed until the hostages were released

The artist representing Israel at the Venice Biennale called on April 16 for a ceasefire in the war with Hamas and said her exhibit would remain closed until the hostages were released.

Ruth Patir’s video installation (M)otherland was due to open on Saturday at Israel’s national pavilion at the international art show, but the day before a media preview, she said it would remain closed for now.

“I feel that the time for art is lost and I need to believe it will return,” she wrote in a post on Instagram. She said she and curators Mira Lapidot and Tamar Margalit “have become the news, not the art”. “And so if I am given such a remarkable stage, I want to make it count,” she wrote.

“I have therefore decided that the pavilion will only open when the release of hostages and ceasefire agreement happens.” Thousands of artists, architects and curators signed a petition earlier this year urging the Biennale organisers to ban Israel over its actions in Gaza — a call condemned by Italy’s Culture Minister as “shameful”.

“I am an artist and educator, I firmly object to cultural boycott,” Ms. Patir continued. “But since I feel there are no right answer(s), and I can only do what I can with the space I have, I prefer to raise my voice with those I stand with in their scream, ceasefire now, bring the people back from captivity.

“We cannot take it anymore,” she wrote.