The Kunstakademie Düsseldorf has come under fire over its invitation to Palestinian artist and filmmaker Basma Al-Sharif for a lecture. On January 15, an open letter was issued by three Jewish community groups calling for the event’s cancellation. 

Born in Kuwait in 1983 and now based in Berlin, Al-Sharif works across film, photography, and installation to explore themes of displacement and identity in relation to contested geopolitical landscapes. Her practice articulates a layered Palestinian perspective that resists reductive political narratives. A finalist of the 2024 Aware Prize, she has exhibited internationally, with recent presentations including the fourth Hannah Ryggen Triennale (2025), the 13th Gothenburg International Biennial (2025), the fifth Kochi-Muziris Biennale (2022), and the 78th Whitney Biennial (2017).

On January 15, three Jewish organizations—Netzwerk Jüdischer Hochschullehrender, WerteInitiative – jüdisch-deutsche Positionen, and Jüdisches Forum der CDU NRW—jointly issued an open letter urging the academy to withdraw its invitation to Al-Sharif. Citing the artist’s social media activity, which they described as “characterized by the trivialization of terrorism and Israel-related antisemitism,” they argued that “human dignity takes precedence over artistic freedom” and that the invitation had damaged their trust in the “responsibility of public institutions.”

The Kunstakademie rejected the demand the following day, emphasizing that Al-Sharif was invited on the basis of her artistic practice and achievements. While reiterating that antisemitism, hate speech, and the glorification of violence have no place at the institution, the school said the lecture would proceed and be “moderated and contextualized” to ensure a responsible and respectful setting. 

On January 20, the German Middle East Studies Association issued an open letter to support the school’s decision, expressing concern over what it described as an increase in “stereotyped, decontextualized, and racialized accusations against Palestinian speakers, as well as attempts to criminalize them.” 

At the time of publication, the event was set to proceed as scheduled.

Yuqian Fan is an editorial assistant at ArtAsiaPacific.