Artists Pull Work From Whitney Biennial In Protest of Its Board

Colin Moynihan

July 21, 2019 1:40 AM

NEW YORK — Eight artists have asked the Whitney Museum of American Art to remove their works from this year’s Biennial, citing what they describe as the museum’s lack of response to calls for the resignation of a board member with ties to the sale of military supplies, including tear gas. Four of the artists withdrew Friday; four more followed Saturday.

Since March, there have been protests at the museum and calls from artists and scholars for the museum to remove the trustee, Warren Kanders, who owns a company that distributes law-enforcement equipment, the Safariland Group. Kanders has vigorously defended the group, but one artist selected for the Biennial declined to participate before the exhibit opened because of Kanders’ business. Dozens of others called for Kanders to resign, even as they took part.

In a letter to the Whitney Biennial curators that was first reported Friday by Artforum, four artists — Korakrit Arunanondchai, Meriem Bennani, Nicole Eisenman and Nicholas Galanin — said they were angry when they learned of Kanders’ ties to Safariland, but “were well into fabrication of major pieces” for the Biennial and decided to forge ahead.

“The Museum’s continued failure to respond in any meaningful way to growing pressure from artists and activists has made our participation untenable,” the four wrote. “The Museum’s inertia has turned the screw, and we refuse further complicity with Kanders and his technologies of violence.”

On Saturday, additional artists said they were withdrawing work in solidarity.

Eddie Arroyo and Agustina Woodgate announced through their gallery, Spinello Projects of Miami, that “the request is intended as condemnation of Warren Kanders’ continued presence as Vice Chair of the Board and the Museum’s continued failure to respond in any meaningful way to growing pressure from artists and activists.” Christine Sun Kim said in an email to The New York Times that she, too, had asked for her work to be withdrawn from the Biennial.

Also asking that work be withdrawn was Forensic Architecture, a London-based research group, which produced a 10-minute video that directly addressed the controversy over Kanders, called “Triple-Chaser.” (It was made with Praxis Films, run by filmmaker Laura Poitras.)

Kanders declined to comment Friday through a spokesman, who did not immediately respond to additional requests for comment Saturday.

There are 75 artists in the Whitney Biennial, which is due to close Sept. 22.

“The Whitney respects the opinions of all the artists it exhibits and stands by their right to express themselves freely,” Adam D. Weinberg, the Whitney’s director, wrote in a statement Friday.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Colin Moynihan