Pro-Palestinian protestors called on an art organisation to remove a sponsor over art-washing accusations outside an exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Arts on Tuesday 14 January.
The protest was organised by the Palestinian Youth Movement and the UK Jinnaah extension of the Gaza Biennale, a collective which has been platforming Palestinian art as a form of cultural resistance against genocide since April 2024.
New Contemporaries, which showcases emerging artistic talent, were holding a private viewing for their 75th annual exhibition for their featured artists as the protest took place, and featured Bloomberg Philanthropies as a sponsor.
Amidst chants of “drop Bloomberg now!”, a spokesperson for the Gaza Biennale said: “Bloomberg Philanthropies art-washes settler colonialism, apartheid and genocide in Palestine in their support of various initiatives on stolen land.
“Facilitating settlement infrastructure is not philanthropy. It is aiding and abetting a war crime.”
The speech alleged that in December of 2024, the organisation committed $27.8 million to support 65 Israeli cities and towns built on the foundation of ethnically cleansed Palestinian towns and villages.
The protestors and supporting artists called on the ICA itself to remove Barclays as a banking partner as well, amid claims around the bank’s investment in companies supplying arms to Israel, and cut ties with Mishcon de Reya, a law firm which advises on potential claims in relation to anti-Israeli boycotts.
However, a spokeperson for the ICA refuted involvement with Mischon de Reya and clarified their dealings with Barclays.
The spokesperson said: “Contrary to the CWAG statement, the ICA does not work with the law firm Mischon de Reya, and therefore it is impossible for us to stop working with them.
“The ICA have no investments under management, and therefore it is not possible for us to divest any of them.
“Should we be in the fortunate position in future of having sufficient resources to invest then we would do so within the framework of an ethical investment policy.”
“The ICA does not hold investments with Barclays and do not benefit from the ownership of any shares in it, although it does manage, for now, the charity’s business account.”
The protestors were joined by 28 of the 35 emerging artists featured in the New Contemporaries exhibition, who walked out in solidarity and signed a document detailing their support for the demands put forward.
One of the artists, Roo Kaur Dhissou, said: “The motivation is to show cultural institutions what might be possible if they too joined a BDS (Boycott Divest Sanctions) movement and worked towards working with more ethical funding rather than the funding that comes from such heinous crimes.”
The international Boycott Divest Sanctions movement calls on organisations to show resistance against Palestinian oppression by withdrawing and refusing financial support from Israeli organisations.
Mentors and judges from New Contemporaries also signed the document.
Dhissou added: “We did have support from [New Contemporaries] on the night which was really great.
“Whether or not they dropped funding is a different question.”
Following the protest, the artworks of 60-plus Palestinian artists were projected onto the side of the ICA by the Gaza Biennale, depicting the experience of Palestinian identity, predominantly since October 2023, through various artistic mediums.
Addressing the purpose of the Gaza Biennale, Jeanine from the Palestinian Youth Movement said: “It is a form of resistance and refusal through art.
“A key aspect of genocide is cultural erasure and a key part of our resistance is insisting on life.”
A spokesperson for New Contemporaries said: “New Contemporaries is fully supportive of the artists’ right to protest and to show solidarity with the Gaza Biennale.”
They did not provide comment on the future of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ sponsorship of the organisation.
Bloomberg Philanthropies were contacted for comment.
Since the protest, Hamas and Israel agreed on a ceasefire and hostage deal which came into effect on 19 January.
