The Documenta fifteen delivered one of the biggest scandals due to some artworks that were seen as anti-semitic.

The indonesian art collective Ruangrupa was invited to curate the complete exhibition of the Documenta. Their claim was to show international artists from all over the world and to show togetherness in all forms. 

The art banner installation (created in 2002) by the indonesian art collective Taring Padi was one of the shown artworks on the Documenta fifteen and later on suspected as anti-semitic.

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The brief of what happened here: 

The Documenta fifteen started on saturday, 18th of June 2022. The art banner "People's Justice" (including its paper puppets in front of it) was set up a day earlier. On sunday the 19th, there happened to be lots of public (and online) statements of antisemitic figures that have been seen on the art banner. A caricature of a soldier with a pig's nose, a neckerchief with the Star of David on it and the inscription "mossad" (the name of the Israeli secret service) written on his helmet is just one example. The other most discussed figure was a caricature of a man with sidelocks, wolf teeth, a hooked nose, a cigar and an SS symbol on his hat.

Due to those finds and not enough time to evaluate the meaning behind the banner's details, the artwork was covered on monday the 20st of june. On tuesday 8:30 pm the 18 meter banner was taken down completely.

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The removal was announced on local newspapers on the same day as well as on many online formats. In the beginning people grouped around the artpieces and watched. During the banners' removal a few people started booing the artwork. Little by little the big, mixed entourage of all ages and nationalities started dissembling into multiple groups. The bigger group started shouting louder and louder against the booers. The shouting of  "from the river to the sea, palestine will be free" continued a whole hour after the banner was already taken down. During the whole process it became clear that many people there were confused and couldn't figure why there happened these shoutings nor why they became more agressive as time was passing by.

"From the river to the sea, palestine will be free", "Take the puppets home" and "Viva, Viva Palestina" were the most heard sentences.

The paper puppets were taken down and broken off of their sockets shortly after the banner was removed and were used as signs of protest by the loud shouters.

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Some other people simply took the paper puppets home, as they were laying on the ground to take.

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*Below one can find the complete banner triptych and detailed shots for yourself to examine.*