South African Artist's Work to Be Displayed at Venice Biennale Despite Government Ban

Gabrielle Goliath's performance art piece, *Elegy*, which was initially set to represent South Africa at the Venice Biennale, will instead be showcased as a video installation at the Chiesa di Sant’Antonin church in Venice. This display will run for three months starting on May 4, 2026. The South African government, however, has opted not to nominate a replacement for its pavilion, leaving it empty following the abrupt cancellation of Goliath's participation in January 2026.

The Guardian

*Elegy* serves as a ritual of mourning for women who have suffered from sexualized or racialized violence. Originally conceived in 2015 to honor Ipeleng Christine Moholane, a murdered South African student, the performance features seven operatically trained female singers who hold a single high note, symbolizing loss and remembrance. The piece also pays tribute to two Nama women killed during German colonial rule and Palestinian poet Hiba Abu Nada, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in October 2023. The performance is accompanied by a ghazal that honors Abu Nada's poem, *I Grant You Refuge*, written shortly before her death.

The Guardian

South Africa's Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie cited the work's "highly divisive" nature as the reason for its cancellation, arguing that it relates to an ongoing international conflict that is polarizing. McKenzie, a member of the right-wing Patriotic Alliance, has publicly supported Israel, stating, “there is no genocide happening there,” despite the previous government's lawsuit accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.

The Guardian

Goliath has expressed that the divisiveness stems not from the language used in her work but from its focus on grieving Palestinian lives. Following the cancellation, she attempted to challenge the government's decision in court, but her application was dismissed just hours before the Biennale's submission deadline. The court also ordered Goliath and her curator, Ingrid Masondo, to cover the legal costs, a decision Goliath described as "highly irregular."

The Guardian

The Venice Biennale, opening on May 9, 2026, will feature 111 artists representing 99 nations, curated under the theme "In Minor Keys." This year's exhibition is particularly notable as it is being realized by a team of collaborators following the sudden death of Swiss-Cameroonian curator Koyo Kouoh in May 2025. Goliath's *Elegy* will also be staged in partnership with the London arts center Ibraaz, which plans to host the installation in October 2026.

The Guardian

• “a dangerous precedent” — Gabrielle Goliath, Artist

The Guardian

• “It wasn’t the specifics of the language that have made the work ‘divisive and polarising’, but the fact that it is directed towards grieving Palestinian lives,” — Gabrielle Goliath, Artist

The Guardian

• “there is no genocide happening there” — Gayton McKenzie, South African Culture Minister

The Guardian

Critics of the government's decision, including fellow artists and supporters of Goliath, argue that the cancellation of *Elegy* reflects a broader issue of censorship and the suppression of artistic expression related to sensitive political topics. They continue to advocate for Goliath's right to showcase her work, emphasizing the importance of addressing the narratives of marginalized communities.

The Guardian