Some 600 artists, scholars and others have signed an open letter condemning a digital art exhibition in Leipzig, Germany, sponsored by Palantir, the controversial data analytics firm whose products have been used for state surveillance and predictive policing.
The show, titled “Dimensions — Digital Art Since 1859claims to explore “how art has been shaped by the dialogue between new technologies and forms of artistic expression throughout history,” according to a statement. The work of Refik Anadol, Nam June Paik and 40 other artists from the 19th century to the present day is included.
The event was organized by Walter Smerling, an independent German curator who has previously shot to rely on what some critics call toxic philanthropy and shady political connections. (One writer dubbed this model the “Smerling system. ) Its 2021 exhibition, “Diversity United,” counted Vladimir Putin and several right-wing German politicians among its sponsors.
Walter Smerling, President of the Foundation for Art and Culture (Germany), during a press conference on the international project Diversity United and the exhibition of modern European art, at the Russian news agency TASS. Photo: Mikhail Tereshchenko/TASS.
Posted this week, open letter detailed Smerling’s tainted exhibition efforts and called Palantir’s involvement in the exhibition a form of “artwashing”. It concluded with a list of demands, including increased support for independent art by the city of Leipzig and “the development of ethical guidelines for the funding and promotion of art exhibitions”.
The missive also denounced the exhibition’s alleged lack of commitment to social issues endemic to the development of digital technology, including stock market speculation and the “atomization of corporate labor to optimize employee performance.” “.
“The show ‘Dimensions’ seems to be an attempt to distract the public from everything policy dimension of the digital by negotiating digital history primarily as an aesthetic phenomenon,” the document reads. “In this way, all questions about the democratic control of surveillance technologies and the appropriation of data by companies like Palantir could hopefully be evaded.”
The letter was written by five Leipzig-based cultural workers: Charlotte Eifler, Su Yu Hsin, Francis Hunger, Gabriel S. Moses and Alexa Steinbrück. Since it went live, it has been signed by hundreds more, including artists Hito Steyerl, Candice Breitz and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer.
Representatives of “Dimensions” did not respond to a request for comment on the letter or its claims at the time of publication.
Installation view of Ivana Franke Entanglement is a fragile state (2012-2023). © Stiftung für Kunst und Kultur eV Photo: Alexander Schippel.
Co-founded by right-wing entrepreneur and venture capitalist Peter Thiel, Palantir has faced frequent backlash for its proprietary technologies, which have been used by governments to investigate and surveil citizens. Earlier this year, Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court imposed new restrictions on the use of data mining by police forces, forcing states to reconsider their use of Palantir products.
The open letter suggested that the company agreed to sponsor “Dimensions” in an effort to restore its reputation in the country. “If, like Palantir, your hands look dirty or at least your image looks tarnished, a redemptive way to get public attention would be to sponsor an art exhibit,” the missive reads.
Follow Artnet News on Facebook:
Want to stay one step ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to receive breaking news, revealing interviews and incisive reviews that move the conversation forward.
