Over 900 artists and art workers urge Tate to cut ties with donors linked to Israel

More than 900 artists and art workers (as of 2pm CET on 26 November) have signed an open letter urging Tate in London to end its “complicity in genocide” by severing connections with arts organizations whose founders have financial ties to Israel, ARTnews reports. 

The letter, directed to Tate's leadership ahead of the Turner Prize ceremony on 3 December, demands the museum divest from the Zabludowicz Art Trust, Zabludowicz Art Projects, and Outset Contemporary Art Fund. These organizations are led separately by arts philanthropists Anita and Poju Zabludowicz, and Candida Gertler.

The letter accuses the founders of these organisations of being linked to Israel’s "genocidal" policies in Gaza, referencing findings from the International Court of Justice and the United Nations that characterise Israel’s military actions as consistent with "plausible genocide" and "apartheid".

Amnesty International has also condemned Israel's policies as apartheid crimes. "We believe Tate has a profound moral duty, if not a legal one, to divest from its affiliations with the Israeli state," signees believe.

Additionally, the letter highlights the involvement of the Zabludowicz Art Trust and Outset Contemporary Art Fund in what activists describe as "artwashing": the use of collaborations with museums and artists to obscure politically controversial and ethically questionable ties.

“Tate’s partnerships with these organizations directly undermine its commitment to equality and social impact,” the letter underlines.

Signees, who made the demands “in solidarity with Palestine and Lebanon”, include current Turner Prize nominee Jasleen Kaur, as well as previous winners such as Charlotte Prodger, Helen Cammock, and Lawrence Abu Hamdan.

In support of their argument, activists highlight Tate’s willingness to divest from Russian donors following the invasion of Ukraine, urging leaders to take similar action in relation to Palestine.

“Divestment is a tactic we know Tate is already familiar with: 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 reads.

These demands come soon after students at Goldsmiths, part of the University of London, successfully pressured the art school's Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art to sever its ties with Candida and Zak Gertler, over their personal connections to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and their financial backing of his political campaigns.

The letter also follows over 1,000 writers, including Nobel Prize laureates, and Pulitzer Prize winners, joining history’s largest cultural boycott against Israel’s publishing industry last month.