ROME -- The Israeli artist and curator, Ruth Patir, has said the Israel pavilion at the 60^th Venice Biennale will remain closed until “a ceasefire and hostage release agreement is reached.” The exhibition, which should have opened on Tuesday morning, instead displayed a sign stating the team’s decision, and was guarded by Italian soldiers.

 Patir explained, “As an artist and educator, I firmly object to cultural boycott, but I have a significant difficulty in presenting a project that speaks about the vulnerability of life in a time of unfathomed disregard for it.”

 “With those I stand within their scream, ceasefire now, bring the people back from captivity. We can’t take it anymore.”

 The organisers went on to clarify that “The decision by the artist and curators is not to cancel themselves nor the exhibition; rather, they choose to take a stance in solidarity with the families of the hostages and the large community in Israel who is calling for change.”

 Patir was not the only person to release a statement, with Mira Lapidot, one of the exhibition’s curators revealing to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that, “In contrast to the political arena, the art world [has in the past] pretended, or aspired, to present something more complex, ambiguous, which could contain internal contradictions – and suddenly in a single blow, the perception changed. You can either be on this side or on the other side.”

 Through the glass of the pavilion, however, a screen displaying the video Keening, released by the artist is visible. The rest of Patir’s work, titled (M)otherland, which focuses on the theme of fertility “awaits inside for the moment when hearts can once again be open to art” according to the organisers.

 Since Hamas’ attack in the south of Israel on Oct 7, 1200 people were killed and around 240 taken hostage. Israel then launched a military attack on the Gaza Strip, killing over 33,000 people and wounding 80,000, subsequently displacing around 80 percent of the population.

 Pro-Palestinian movements called for the denial of Israel’s participation in the Biennale in solidarity with the people of Gaza. Patir, who was named as Israel’s representing artist one month before Hamas’ attack, disclosed in a statement on Instagram “We have become the news, not the art. And if I am given such a remarkable stage, I want to make it count”.

 At the end of March, the United Nations Security Council ordered Israel to cease fire until the end of Ramadan, on April 10, which Tel Aviv did not comply with. Due to the capturing and killing of civilians, both Israel and Hamas have been accused of violating the Geneva Convention.

 lw