A renowned New York gallery, Lévy Gorvy Dayan, reported vandalism on its premises after graffiti displaying an apology for its founders' public stance on a controversial Artforum letter about Gaza was found. This incident follows a heated debate sparked by the letter, which had thousands of artists demanding that art institutions address Israel's airstrikes on Gaza. These attacks have resulted in numerous casualties over the past two months.
The contentious Artforum letter, published shortly after a severe attack by Hamas that resulted in significant Israeli casualties, called for Palestinian liberation and an end to the conflict in Gaza. However, the letter initially omitted any mention of the Hamas attack and the hostage situation it created.
Reacting to this, Dominique Lévy, Brett Gorvy, and Amalia Dayan of Lévy Gorvy Dayan published a counter-statement in Artforum, expressing their distress over the letter's lack of context regarding the Hamas attack and its impact. Following their statement, the Artforum letter was updated to include a mention of the Hamas attack, leading to some signatories retracting their support.
The controversy escalated when Artforum's editor David Velasco was dismissed following the publication of another letter advocating for empathy post-Hamas attack, signed by numerous dealers and artists. Artforum's publishers claimed the letter's publication did not align with their editorial process.
The apology graffiti at Lévy Gorvy Dayan, viewed as an act of repentance for the dealers' statement, garnered attention on social media. Writers Against the War on Gaza, a group criticizing Velasco's firing and denouncing the alleged censorship by Penske Media Corporation (Artforum's owner), shared images of the graffiti. The apology expressed regret for contributing to a suppressive atmosphere against pro-Palestinian voices.
In response, the gallery clarified that the apology did not reflect its founders' views, labeling the act as vandalism by an unidentified group. The gallery emphasized its commitment to the safety of its staff, artists, and patrons, distancing itself from the views expressed in the unauthorized message.
Jean Dubreil