Resolve Collective, an interdisciplinary group of designers tackling social issues through art, architecture, technology and engineering, is closing its exhibition at London’s Barbican, citing “anti-Palestinian censorship” and “a number “shameful incidents” involving venue staff as among his primary reasons for doing so. “Them’s the Breaks,” which opened March 30 at hot Comments, was originally scheduled to close on July 16; instead, the collective will empty Barbican’s Curve Gallery, where it was, by June 26. They will distribute exhibit materials to “interested and needy organizations, practices, and individuals” through a series of “sales closings.” The empty gallery will remain open to the public until July 16.
The early closure was prompted in part by a June 15 visit to the Barbican by Resolve Collective. According to a post on the group’s Instagram, they arrived at the Barbican to attend a lecture by Egyptian researcher Nihal El Assar and Elias Anastas, co-founder of the Palestinian radio station Radio AlHara, only to be told by the organizer Abiba Coulibaly that the conversation had taken place. was canceled after a member of Barbican staff warned Anastas not to discuss the Palestinian liberation struggle at length, in order to “protect the audience”. Resolve Collective acknowledged that the Barbican had offered a “sincere apology” to the collective and Radio AlHara, and that the conversation had been postponed, but noted that the incident took place just hours after sending an email to the management of Barbican to complain about being mistreated by various members of the reception staff during their own exhibition. Among the indignities the members say they suffered are “hostility towards close family and friends at the opening of the exhibit; rough and overly suspicious treatment when entering our exhibition with a group of other black and brown artists; and to be publicly belittled and infantilized while being kicked out of our exhibit space” at the end of a rave at the venue as the curator and exhibit producer were allowed to stay.
“Even before the events of Thursday June 15,” the collective writes, “our experiences at the Barbican had led us to a frustrating but unsurprising conclusion: that today, despite the best intentions of many good people within the institution, young Black artists like us and other peers who seek to promote their communities cannot be guaranteed to be treated with respect and dignity when working there.
The criticism and closure have hit the Barbican hard, which since 2021 has struggled to rectify the conditions that led to the publication of barbican stories, A case compiling 98 anonymous accounts of alleged racism and discrimination at the center. Following the announcement of the early closure, Barbican CEO Claire Spencer and Artistic Director Will Gompertz released a joint statement, which read in part: “During the course of their exhibition, Resolve Collective and their collaborators have been subjected to a number of unacceptable experiences, including the events that took place on June 15. We are deeply sorry for the pain caused to the members of Resolve Collective and those involved in their exposure. No one should have to work in a place where they don’t feel welcome and respected. Will and I take this situation very seriously and are currently working with the extended Barbican team to understand the details of what happened.
The duo added: “A lot of work has already been done to build a new culture at the Barbican where all of our people, and those we work with, are valued, supported and feel like they belong. Clearly we still have a lot work to do, but we are committed to making the Barbican an inclusive, welcoming and safe place for all.
