Ruth Skilbeck 26.2.2014
Five prominent international and Australian artists have
announced they have withdrawn from the Biennale of Sydney: Libia Castro, Olafur
Olafsson, Charlie Sofo, Gabrielle de Vietri and Ahmet Ogut.
Their statement released yesterday on the Sydney Biennale artists blog set up to discuss and cover the events surrounding the boycott and
protests, states, in part:
“We have revoked our works, cancelled our public events and
relinquished our artists’ fees. While we have sought ways to address our strong
opposition to Australia’s mandatory detention policy as participants of the
Biennale, we have decided that withdrawal is our most constructive choice. We
do not accept the platform that Transfield provides via the Biennale for
critique. We see our participation in the Biennale as an active link in a chain
of associations that leads to the abuse of human rights. For us, this is
undeniable and indefensible.
Our withdrawal is one action in a multiplicity of others,
already enacted and soon to be carried out in and around the Biennale. We do
not propose to know the exact ethical, strategic or effective action to end
mandatory detention, but we act on conscience and we act with hope.
We have chosen to redirect our energies into multiple forms of
action: discussions, workshops, publications, exhibitions and works that will
continue to fuel this debate in the public sphere. In this, we stand with our
local and international communities that are calling for the closure of
Australia’s offshore detention facilities.”
Read the full statement of the Biennale artists who have withdrawn to protest against the Australian government detention camps policy and revelations of the increased Biennale sponsorship funding through foundational sponsor Transfield, a construction multinational which has taken over
management of the detention camps:
Statement of Withdrawal from 19th Biennale of Sydney
STATEMENT OF WITHDRAWAL
26 February 2014
We are five of the 41 artists - Libia Castro, Ólafur Ólafsson,
Charlie Sofo, Gabrielle de Vietri and Ahmet Öğüt - who signed a letter to the
Board of the Biennale of Sydney in relation to their founding
sponsor, Transfield.
We make this statement in light of Transfield’s expanding
management of Manus Island and Nauru immigration detention centres. We act in
the wake of the death of Reza Berati from inside Manus Island detention centre
on February 17. We are in urgent political circumstances with a government that
is stepping up their warfare on the world’s most vulnerable people daily.
We have received indications from
the Board of the Biennale and Transfield that there will be no movement on
their involvement in this issue. In our letter to the Board we asked for action
and engagement, but we are told that the issue is too complex, and that the
financial agreements are too important to re-negotiate.
And so we make this statement from a critical juncture of
political urgency and artistic autonomy.
This is a statement of our withdrawal from the 19th Biennale of
Sydney.
We have revoked our works, cancelled our public events and
relinquished our artists’ fees. While we have sought ways to address our strong
opposition to Australia’s mandatory detention policy as participants of the
Biennale, we have decided that withdrawal is our most constructive choice. We
do not accept the platform that Transfield provides via the Biennale for
critique. We see our participation in the Biennale as an active link in a chain
of associations that leads to the abuse of human rights. For us, this is
undeniable and indefensible.
Our withdrawal is one action in a multiplicity of others,
already enacted and soon to be carried out in and around the Biennale. We do
not propose to know the exact ethical, strategic or effective action to end
mandatory detention, but we act on conscience and we act with hope.
We have chosen to redirect our energies into multiple forms of
action: discussions, workshops, publications, exhibitions and works that will
continue to fuel this debate in the public sphere. In this, we stand with our
local and international communities that are calling for the closure of
Australia’s offshore detention facilities. We ask for their active support in
keeping this issue at the forefront of our minds, in the warmest part of our
hearts, in the most urgent of discussions and in the most bold of actions,
until the detention centres on Manus Island and Nauru close.
We withdraw to send a message to the Biennale urging them,
again, to act ethically and transparently. To send a message to Transfield that
we will not add value to their brand and its inhumane enterprise. Finally, and
most importantly, we withdraw to send a message to the Australian Government
that we do not accept their unethical policy against asylum seekers.
We ask that the Biennale of Sydney acknowledge the absence of our
work from the exhibition. As the Biennale has offered to provide a platform and
support for our dissent, we request that our withdrawal be registered on the
Biennale website and signposted at the physical site of our projects. In the
pervasive silence that the Government enforces around this issue, we will not
let this action be unnoticed.
We act in solidarity with all those who are working towards a
better future for asylum seekers. We hope that others will join us.
Libia Castro
Ólafur Ólafsson
Charlie Sofo
Gabrielle de Vietri
Ahmet Öğüt
Read more at the artists' #19BoS Working Group website and blog.
"Blog created by artists involved in the 19th Biennale of Sydney to discuss the call to boycott the Biennale over its sponsor Transfield's involvement in offshore mandatory detention."
http://19boswg.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/statement-of-withdrawal-from-19th.html
