Curators’ Statement – Changing States

As co-curators of the Changing States: Ireland in the 21st Century, a group exhibition of Irish artists, to be presented at Haus am Kleistpark, Berlin, we are very mindful of the context in which the exhibition will take place. Photo Museum Ireland, IKS Photo and Haus am Kleistpark have discussed this situation throughout our partnership, which began in April 2023.

Some artists have chosen to withdraw from the exhibition as part of a call to boycott German cultural institutions. Others have chosen to remain. A number of artists have opted to donate their fee to pro-Palestinian causes. We respect the position of all artists on this issue and support their right to make political statements in whichever way they choose. We are opposed to the censorship of free speech in any form. 

We strongly believe that it is important to continue with the exhibition. It has been curated to showcase contemporary artists who through their practices question existing paradigms and power structures, addressing Ireland’s recent, profound social change, shifting demographics, and the long-term legacy of colonialism.

The exhibition is funded by the Government of Ireland through Culture Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland. It is part of the wider Zeitgeist Irland 24 programme, an inclusive cultural initiative to promote contemporary Irish arts in Germany. 

The exhibition partners are committed to providing a platform for artists’ expression that enables the discussion of significant and at times difficult issues. We do not wish to undermine our commitment to supporting artists’ practices by cancelling this exhibition. We believe that it is important now more than ever, that artists’ voices continue to perform a vital part of wider public conversations. 

Trish Lambe & Darren Campion, Photo Museum Ireland
Ralph Goertz, IKS Photo
Barbara Esch Marowski, Director, Haus am Kleistpark

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