Actor Removes Mother’s Art from Venice Biennale Over Pro-Israel Protest
Eric Rasmussen withdrew his contribution from the Denniston Hill installation citing political disagreements.
1Protest Through Withdrawal
Actor Eric Rasmussen removed his mother’s childhood drawing of Adolf Hitler from the Venice Biennale. The artwork was part of a collaborative installation titled Chimera, curated by Koyo Kouoh. Rasmussen stated he withdrew the piece to protest the residency program Denniston Hill’s perceived alignment with anti-Zionist political stances regarding Israel.
2The Chimera Installation
Chimera is an exquisite corpse-style work featuring contributions from dozens of past Denniston Hill residents. The installation is located in the Giardini section of the main exhibition. It includes various artistic inputs from artists like Julie Mehretu and Paul Pfeiffer, reflecting the diverse history of the Upstate New York residency program.
3Nature of the Artwork
Rasmussen’s contribution was a 1943 drawing by his mother depicting a mustachioed man with the text, Mister Hitler is invaded and his spitting. He added a red caption questioning the toxicity of the past. The artist intended the piece to reflect both his residency work and the current global political climate.
4Trigger for Removal
The withdrawal occurred after mid-May when Denniston Hill informed participants of its alignment with the Art Not Genocide Alliance. This group has actively protested Israel’s presence at the Biennale. Rasmussen objected to the organization’s support for a group he believes seeks the eradication of the Israeli nation without consulting its artists.
5Political Context of Biennale
The controversy stems from an open letter signed by over 70 Biennale participants objecting to the exhibition’s claims of political neutrality. Signatories criticized the inclusion of pavilions for Israel, Russia, and the United States. They argued these nations are currently regimes committing war crimes, creating tension within the international art showcase.
6Stance on Zionism
In a Jewish Journal op-ed, Rasmussen criticized the conflation of Zionism with racism, colonialism, and apartheid. He described such rhetoric as akin to Cold War KGB propaganda. The actor argued that anti-Zionism represents an assault on Jewish history and the Jewish state, prompting his decision to distance his work from the collective.
7Logistics of the Removal
Rasmussen requested the return of his mother’s drawing via a lengthy email sent to the Denniston Hill organization. The group complied with his request and returned the acetate panel. Neither representatives for Denniston Hill nor the Venice Biennale provided comments regarding the specific timeline or the implications of the artwork's removal.
8Broader Institutional Implications
The incident highlights the growing friction between artistic institutions and the political views of their contributors. As the Venice Biennale concludes this month, the event underscores how national pavilions and residency programs are increasingly becoming battlegrounds for geopolitical discourse. This case illustrates the difficulty of maintaining neutrality in contemporary international art exhibitions.
Original article: ARTnews — Actor Removes Mother’s Art from Venice Biennale Over Pro-Israel Protest