The Mancunian Way: A protest in art
04.04.2024 - 13:19
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
After a Manchester venue cancelled a Palestinian event last week, the fallout has spilled into the gallery’s other exhibitions.
Around 70 pieces of art were removed from the Manchester Open exhibition at HOME yesterday in protest of the arts venue 'silencing Palestinian voices'. It follows the venue’s decision to cancel their Voices of Resilience show, which was billed as an evening of poetry and writing by Palestinians in Manchester and Gaza.
In a statement, HOME said it is a politically neutral space' and that the safety of staff, audiences and artists was 'paramount' The decision to cancel the show followed an open letter from the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester raising concerns.
But now artists have removed their works from a separate exhibition in the venue, replacing them with copies of a statement signed by over 150 artists. The statement calls for an apology from HOME and the reinstatement of the Voices of Resilience event, among other demands such as facilitating a forum for 'Palestinians and their allies' to air concerns.
Last night, around 100 artists and their supporters took down roughly 70 of the 500 artworks with more set to be removed in the coming days. The exhibition, which takes place every two years, opened in February and is scheduled to run until the end of April.
Sophia Gardiner, the artist behind 'Women of Discord', said she was proud to feature in the exhibition and be nominated for an award. She said: "How can I say I'm proud after this? My work featured many historical figures, including victims of colonialism and genocide.
Hundreds of artists, including actress Maxine Peake and director Kapadia, a patron of HOME, have also signed an open letter stating that the venue has