Foreign Affairs
‘Every day the Stedelijk Museum fails to support Palestinians, it lets fear and self-interest prevail over human rights’
Filmmaker Joeri Pruys argues that the Stedelijk Museum’s claim of neutrality is untenable regarding Palestine, contrasting its withdrawal of support for Black Lives Matter and Ukraine with the removal of rapper Macklemore from Ed Sheeran’s tour due to pro-Israel pressure. Museum director Rein Wolfs maintains that the institution should remain a neutral platform, refusing to sign the Cultural Boycott Israel petition. Pruys contends that cultural institutions like the Concertgebouw and Rijksmuseum similarly avoid political stances, potentially driven by fear of backlash or normalized Islamophobia. He asserts that art is inherently political, citing Yayoi Kusama’s work as evidence, and warns that denying this dimension undermines democracy and human dignity, leaving museums vulnerable to authoritarian shifts.
Ozetta summarises; the reporting is the newsroom's