The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) has removed two works inspired by Gaza from its Young Artists’ Summer Show after an open letter from the Board of Deputies of British Jews raised “significant concerns” about their content.
In a letter posted on X this week, a board vice-president, Andrew Gilbert, described three works on display at the gallery as containing “antisemitic tropes and messaging”, which had caused “significant concern to members of our community”.
Gilbert went on to question “the judgment of allowing these pictures with their highly politically charged and controversial messages” into the exhibition “with no attempt to present any context or contextualising works which might express a contrary view”.
The first work in question was created by an 18-year-old artist and includes the phrase “Jews say stop genocide on Palestinians: Not in Our Name”. The board said the work “appears to be a submission from someone non-Jewish”.
A second piece portrays a screaming woman and a swastika, with the 16-year-old artist behind it saying he felt the Israel-Gaza conflict “draws many parallels with the Nazis’ oppression” in a piece now removed from the RA’s website.
A third work, which remains on display as part of the separate Summer Exhibition, is called The Mass Slaughter of Women and Girls Is Not How You Deradicalise Gaza by the RA academician Michael Sandle, and depicts a faceless pilot and a plane bearing the Star of David in front of bodies in burial shrouds.
The board said it was “aware of the long and admirable tradition of anti-war art” and that it was sure it was not the intention of individual artists to produce antisemitic messaging.
But it said their display was “giving the impression that the RA is taking a political stance on a very controversial issue, which would seem at odds with its objectives, not to mention its charitable status”.
The RA apologised for “any hurt and distress” caused by the artworks. The institution said after “thorough” discussions with the help of “external guidance” it had decided to remove two of the works from display.
A statement said: “As an organisation committed to freedom of expression, works in the exhibition often reflect current societal and political topics that matter to young people, from women’s rights to global conflict.
“We are aware of concerns about two artworks that relate to the Israel/Palestine conflict. We have discussed the matter thoroughly and have also received external guidance.
“We recognise that an exhibition for young people and artwork by young people is not an appropriate environment for volatile public discourse.”
The RA also said it offered a duty of care to the artists it exhibited and the visitors to the galleries, particularly the youngest and most vulnerable.
“Having reviewed and considered the matter carefully, we feel that by continuing to display these artworks, with limited opportunity to provide context or discourse, we would risk causing undue upset and could put people at risk.”
