To Speak on Their Behalf: ArtForum Firing and Resignations amidst Geopolitical Strife (Blog Post #3 - Matthew Bergs)

On October 19, 2023 the publication ArtForum published an open letter addressing the current events of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. The letter, signed by artists Nan Goldin, Barbara Kruger, Kara Walker, Tania Bruguera, and Cecilia Vicuña, alongside thousands of other creative workers, called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, to allow for aid and resources to be delivered to the city in the midst of carnage wrought by Israeli forces retaliating against the Hamas attacks from October 7 (Nayyar). The letter speaks of silence regarding the situation as unacceptable, and urges that institutions be put into place to prevent the targeted assault on Gaza (Velie, Di Liscia). This letter elicited pushback from several organizations and artists that claimed that the letter was uninformed, as it did not address the Hamas attacks on October 7, with some accusing the letter of promoting antisemitism.  Wealthy patrons of many of these artists, such as Martin Eisenberg, began to also reach out to artists to express their discontent with the content of the letter, and pressured them to retract their support. The initial ArtForum letter began to change as responses and criticism poured in, adding more explicit condemnation and losing the support of some signatories in the process.


Demonstrators near the US Capitol, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza (Source: Hyperallergic)


On October 26, 2023, seven days after the open letter was published, ArtForum published another letter, addressing that the letter published a week earlier, though signed by artists, writers, critics and filmmakers of high regard, was not meant to exist as a statement of stance on the publication’s part, and apologized to their audience for any distress it may have caused (ArtForum). That same day, Penske Media, the parent company of ArtForum, Artnews, and Art in America also fired ArtForum’s editor-in-chief, David Velasco. Velasco was summoned to meet with Jay Penske, the CEO of Penske Media, and was fired shortly after that interaction. It is thought that Penske’s decision to fire Velasco was influenced by pressure from Eisenberg and other prominent gallery owners and patrons. Velasco’s firing ended six years of work as editor-in-chief, and a career with ArtForum that began in 2005 (Velie, Di Liscia). Velasco was sorrowful to have parted ways with the publication he had helmed for so long, but in an email statement to The New York Times he relayed that “I have no regrets … I’m disappointed that a magazine that has always stood for freedom of speech and the voices of artists has bent to outside pressure” (Velie, Di Liscia). Velasco’s firing spurned further fallout, prompting calls to boycott ArtForum and causing four other ArtForum staffers to resign. Artists such as Nan Goldin and Nicole Eisenman have also disavowed ArtForum in the wake of these events, stating that the current environment is one of the most chilling periods they’ve ever lived through (Harrison, Greenberger).


 Velasco (left image) and Eisenberg (right image, left) (Source: Artnews; The Intercept)


From these incidents, I come to see the sources of information for art-related news in a different light. Certainly, the geo-political tragedy of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a topic that is so charged with tension, it spurs argument and conflict simply by mentioning it. Dialogue on the topic gets clogged up with demands for condemnation of genocide and terrorism (as if that isn’t already acknowledged as unconscionable), which often promotes viewing the conflict through the lens of a binary, good-vs-evil interpretation. Seeing how this topic has fractured art-centric publications such as ArtForum reveals not only the power and influence that holds the reins to the modern art world, but also displays a stark reality where the voice and viewpoint of artists and creatives are beholden to a certain narrative, lest they be cast out. Many of the artists see their artistic voice as a means to express the value and sacredness of life, and their call for a ceasefire in Gaza speaks towards preserving the dignity that the Palestinian populace do not seem to be receiving from the gaze of greater world powers. But, following suit of those greater powers, this call has been met with criticism, pushback, and consequences both financially and socially dismantling. Velasco’s firing is only emblematic of the greater struggle artists face when they express an opinion that doesn’t align with the interests of those who buy their work, report on their work, or view their work. And if artists aren’t allowed to speak on behalf of those ideas, to contribute to the soul of our current events, what art can truly be made with authenticity and intent towards true expression? 




Bibliography:



1.  Nayyar, Rhea. “Leading Artists and Scholars Call for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza”. 

Hyperallergic, October 19, 2023.

https://hyperallergic.com/851479/artists-and-scholars-call-for-immediate-ceasefire-in-gaz

a/


2.  Velie, Elaine; Valentina Di Liscia. “Artforum Editor-in-Chief Fired After Gaza Ceasefire 

Letter”. Hyperallergic, October 27, 2023.

https://hyperallergic.com/853300/artforum-editor-in-chief-david-velasco-fired-after-gaza-c

easefire-letter/


3.  News Desk. “A Statement From Artforum’s Publishers”. ArtForum, October 26, 2023.

https://www.artforum.com/news/a-statement-from-artforum-s-publishers-518836/


4.  Boguslaw, Daniel; Natasha Lennard. “Bed Bath & Beyond Scion Pressured Artists to Retract 

Gaza Ceasefire Call in Artforum Letter”. The Intercept, October 26, 2023.

https://theintercept.com/2023/10/26/artforum-artists-gaza-ceasefire-martin-eisenberg/


5.  Jacobs, Harrison; Alex Greenberger. “Several Artforum Editors Resign Following Firing of 

David Velasco Over Gaza Letter”. ArtNews, October 28, 2023.

https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/david-velasco-artforum-editors-resign-1234685

075/

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