Artist Ai Weiwei said his new exhibition was canceled after he posted comments on social media referencing the Israel-Gaza conflict. The Chinese artist and activist's exhibition was supposed to open on Wednesday at the Lisson Gallery in London.
Ai Weiwei, who has expressed his support for the Palestinians, said he was “committed to expressing my perspective”. The gallery said there was “no place for debate that could be characterized as anti-Semitic or Islamophobic”.
The statement said: “After extensive conversations with Ai Weiwei following a comment he posted online, we have together agreed that now is not the right time to present his new work.”
His post, which has since been deleted, suggested that the “sense of guilt surrounding the persecution of the Jewish people” had been transferred and held against the Arab world. Ai Weiwei also said that the Jewish community has a strong influence on US media, finance and culture, and that the US' $3 billion in annual military support for Israel means the two countries have a "shared destiny".
Ai Weiwei said she received notification from the gallery that her exhibition was “effectively canceled due to my tweet”. A representative for the artist said that three other exhibitions – at the Lisson Gallery in New York, and the Galerie Max Hetzler in Paris and Berlin – had also been cancelled.
In its statement, Lisson Gallery stated that “all efforts must be made to end the tragic suffering in the Israeli and Palestinian territories, as well as in communities internationally.” It added: “Ai Weiwei is known for his support of freedom of expression and for defending the oppressed, and we deeply respect and value our long-standing relationship with him.”
Source: BBC News