German cities cancel exhibitions for Bangladeshi artists because of pro-Palestine views

By SM Najmus Sakib

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - Renowned Bangladeshi photographers expressed dismay Tuesday after photo exhibitions were canceled in three German cities because of social media posts by the shutterbugs in support of Palestine.

The organizers referred to a Facebook post by Shahidul Alam, one of the curators of the exhibition, as antisemitism.

Alam said in a joint statement, along with the other photographers Tanzim Wahab and Munem Wasif, that organizers found the conduct of the cities “to be a breach of trust and antithetical to the very premise of the theme we were intending to explore in this edition.”

The decision was made by the director of Biennale für aktuelle Fotografie, Yasmin Meinicke, and the board of the group, in consultation with German state authorities to unilaterally cancel the 2024 edition of Listening to Disquiet, it added.

Biennale für aktuelle Fotografie was contracted to host the exhibition.

It violates our contractual agreement, it said.

Alam had been in multiple discussions with the Biennale management since Oct. 14 regarding social media posts made by the photographer related to war crimes in the Gaza Strip.

“While the posts were a response to the actions of the Israeli government, the Biennale incorrectly equated these to anti-Semitism,” said Alam, adding that several members of the Biennale team voiced indignation at the developing atmosphere of self-censorship.

Meinicke, after meeting the mayors of cultural affairs of Mannheim, Ludwigshafen and Heidelberg, sent a statement announcing the cancellation of the event, it added.