Sabine Schormann's — not entirely voluntary — resignation as director general of documenta fifteen was well overdue. It took far too long for consequences to be drawn from the scandal triggered by an artwork using antisemitic imagery. Before anything actually happened, there was a lot of talk, debate and promises. Until now.
The unveiling of a huge hidden painting called "People's Justice" by the artist collective Taring Padi at the start of documenta in mid-June sparked a controversy that has been dealt with far too hesitantly since. The artwork featured a soldier with the face of a pig, a Star of David on his neckerchief and the inscription "Mossad" on his helmet. Another image was a man with sidelocks, bloodshot eyes, fangs and a crooked nose. These are clear antisemitic stereotypes. Though the painting was initially covered and then taken down, nothing more happened.
Little clarification came from a public podium debate in Kassel. So far, a promised review of the other works in the show by a commission of experts has not materialized. Meron Mendel, the director of the Anne Frank Educational Center in Frankfurt, who was supposed to participate, has resigned from his advisory role. And the artist Hito Steyerl demanded that her video installation be removed from the show in protest.
Schormann issued a halfhearted statement only a few days ago — rather late. However, she failed to provide two things: first, an explanation for why Taring Padi’s work was ever put up in the first place, and, second, an answer to the question of who is responsible. Perhaps because the answer would have to have been her, the director general of documenta. But was she so naive as to think that the storm would pass?
A sinking ship?
Once again, it is clear that a person who does not move will be moved. But Schormann is not alone: There are others with roles hardly glorious — first and foremost, the members of the supervisory board of documenta, including its chair, Kassel Lord Mayor of Christian Geselle, and deputy chair, Angela Dorn, the culture minister of the state of Hesse. Both had quickly condemned all forms of antisemitism, but they failed to act until Saturday — four weeks after the global art exhibition began and only when the scandal became visible.
Their parting ways with Schormann simply comes too late. Their argument — that the presentation of a work with antisemitic imagery is a "transgression of boundaries," which has caused "considerable damage" to documenta — seems lacking when others have already decried the shambles. Will Geselle and Dorn escape the fallout?
National Culture and Media Commissioner Claudia Roth and the German Federal Cultural Foundation, which is one of the major financial backers of documenta, are also implicated. Roth should have used her influence much earlier to ensure that the antisemitism scandal was dealt with.
What next for documenta? The show is supposed to go on for another two months. Schormann will be replaced by an interim director. Whoever that ends up being will quickly have to clear the jungle of curatorial and organizational responsibilities, free the art of suspicions of antisemitism and win back lost trust.
It would be good if once again art could speak for itself again at documenta in Kassel.
This article was originally written in German.