‘STRUCTURAL REFORM’

Renowned Art Show in Shambles Over Antisemitism Scandal

The head of Documenta is out after an outcry over the presence of an antisemitic caricature in one of the works on display.

The head of a renowned German art exhibition is out after the display of a “clearly antisemitic picture.” The supervisory board of Documenta, a contemporary art exhibition held every five years in Kassel, announced the news of director general Sabine Schormann’s departure in a statement released Saturday, describing it as “mutually agreed.” The move comes after Schormann, in late June, was forced to explain how a huge mural with an antisemitic caricature wound up in the exhibit. The mural, called “People’s Justice” and installed by an Indonesian art collective, was met by disgust from Germany’s culture minister, who said the “clearly antisemitic picture” on display was a sign that Documenta needed “fundamental structural reform.” Schormann had said in a statement at the time that she was “not responsible” for the artistic content of works in the exhibition.