More than 900 figures from art world demand Tate Britain cuts ties with Israeli donors
Days before the coveted Turner Prize ceremony on December 3rd, which is due to take place at the Tate Britain in London, over 900 artists have signed an open letter condemning the Tate and its financial ties to Israel. The letter calls on the organisation to divest funding from various Israeli projects and donors, taking a stand “against the artwashing of genocide and apartheid”.
The letter primarily concerns the Tate and its partnerships with three key Israeli organisations: Zabludowicz Art Trust, Zabludowicz Art Projects, and Outset Contemporary Art Fund. Poju Zabludowicz, who heads those first two institutions, has been under scrutiny for over a decade within the art world for various financial and political ties to the Israeli state and pro-Israel groups.
Meanwhile, Outset Contemporary Art Fund has previously listed Leviev as a corporate partner. Leviev is a real estate business that has been linked to illegal construction projects in the occupied West Bank in Palestine. “Tate’s partnerships with these organisations directly undermine its commitment to equality and social impact,” the letter states.
While this is certainly not the first time that artists have called for a boycott of Israel, this letter has become more pertinent in recent weeks, as the International Criminal Court recently filed an arrest warrant for Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes. The petition also cites findings from both the International Court of Justice and the United Nations, describing the actions of the Israeli state as being consistent with apartheid and genocide.
According to the letter, the Tate has previously divested funds and support from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. “Divestment is a tactic we know Tate is already familiar with,” the letter shares, “the galleries cut ties with Russian billionaire donors and Tate International Council members Viktor Vekselberg and Petr Aven in 2022, as a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
The letter’s signees include—but are not limited to—current Turner Prize nominee Jasleen Kaur and previous winners of the prestigious award, such as Charlotte Prodger, Helen Cammock, and Lawrence Abu Hamdan. The petition states that those who have signed have done so “in solidarity with Palestine and Lebanon.”
At the time of writing, the Tate have yet to respond to the open letter or divest funding from the highlighted organisations. Artists and individuals continue to add their signatures to the letter ahead of the Turner Prize ceremony next week.
