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<\/a><\/p>\nMinister Gayton McKenzie during the 2026 State of the Nation Address Debate at the Parliamentary Dome on Feb. 17, 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Gallo Images\/Jeffrey Abrahams)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Gabrielle Goliath, a South African artist selected to represent the country at the international culture exhibition, had planned to showcase a performance piece titled \u201cElegy\u201d that would include a memorial for the Palestinian poet Hiba Abu Nada, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in 2023.<\/p>\n
Goliath\u2019s selection to represent South Africa at the biennale by Art Periodic, a nonprofit that was running the pavilion on behalf of the country, quickly drew the scorn of Gayton McKenzie, the South African culture minister, who called her work \u201chighly divisive.\u201d<\/p>\n
While South Africa has long been among the most vocal critics of Israel, and diplomatic ties between the countries have frayed over the course of the war in Gaza, McKenzie has stood out for his staunch support of the Jewish state.<\/p>\n
In January, McKenzie terminated the agreement with Art Periodic, writing in a letter that he would instead feature art in Venice that gave \u201ca positive message\u201d about South Africa, according to the New York Times.<\/p>\n
In a January Facebook post, McKenzie claimed that an unnamed \u201cforeign country\u201d had endeavored to fund the South African installation at the Biennale, adding that it had been alleged that \u201cSouth Africa\u2019s platform was being used as a proxy by a foreign power to endorse a geopolitical message about the actions of Israel in Gaza.\u201d<\/p>\n
He continued, \u201cSouth Africa\u2019s position on Israel and Gaza is clear. Maybe this country\u2019s position should also be stated clearly \u2013 by them, and not indirectly through another country\u2019s platforms.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following the announcement, Goliath filed a lawsuit against McKenzie seeking to be reinstated as the country\u2019s artist. The lawsuit was dismissed on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe this ruling sets a dangerous precedent, jeopardizing the rights of artists, curators, and creatives in South Africa to freedom of expression\u2014freedom to dissent,\u201d Goliath and her legal council said in a statement. \u201cIt goes without saying that we will be contesting this ruling through an appeal.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ministry had initially tried to find a replacement for Goliath but announced on Friday that it will not have an installation in Venice this year.<\/p>\n
South Africa\u2019s decision is not the first time the Venice Biennale has courted controversy over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In 2024, Israel\u2019s representative at the exhibition shut down her exhibit to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages.<\/p>\n
This year, Israel is slated to potentially return to the biennale, though its inclusion has been met with boycott calls from the pro-Palestinian group Art Not Genocide Alliance.<\/p>\n