The large banner of the Indonesian artist collective Taring Padi showed two anti-Semitic figures. It was first set up, then covered up and finally removed again.
(Photo: dpa)
Frankfurt After the anti-Semitism scandal, the savings banks, as one of the main sponsors, tied the further financing of the Documenta art exhibition to certain conditions: “By means of powerful changes, the great importance of the Documenta must be secured for the future beyond current personnel decisions,” said the German Savings Banks and Giro Association (DSGV) on request with. “This is a necessary prerequisite for any funding in the future.”
The Savings Banks Finance Group considers changes in the governance of Documenta to be urgently needed. However, he did not explain what the DSGV considers necessary.
“The events of the past few weeks have done considerable damage to the documenta and its sponsors. Anti-Semitic representations are unacceptable,” said the top lobby association of the savings banks. “The fact that these could be shown at all raised fundamental questions about how those responsible performed their tasks and how the institutions of the Documenta dealt with the problems that had arisen.”
The trigger for the scandal at Documenta fifteen was the agitprop banner “People’s Justice” by the collective Taring Padi on Friedrichsplatz in Kassel, which was later removed. Interspersed with battle scenes of the oppressed Indonesian people were two anti-Semitic figures with sidelocks and Mossad lettering on their helmets.
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Afterwards, the delay in dealing with the incident by the Documenta management was particularly criticized, especially since there had already been indications of anti-Semitic works of art before the exhibition. A few days ago, the contract of the Documenta managing director, Sabine Schormann, was terminated.
Commitment in the six-figure range
Documenta fifteen has been running for four and a half weeks. The city of Kassel and the state of Hesse are represented on the supervisory board of the Documenta company.
In addition to Volkswagen, the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe, market leader in the German banking sector, is the main partner of the art exhibition from the business world. The sponsors from the savings bank organization include the Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen, the savings bank association Hessen-Thüringen, the Kasseler Sparkasse and the fund company Deka. The savings banks, starting with the Kasseler Sparkasse, have been supporting the art exhibition since it started in 1955.
According to the DSGV, the financial commitment of the savings banks is in the six-digit range. The association could not name the exact amount for contractual reasons. The budget for documenta fifteen totals a good 42 million euros.
More: Documenta – Finally consequences from the anti-Semitism scandal