American loses her German professorship after row over pro-Palestine stance
American artist Laurie Anderson is the latest public figure to be penalised for her pro-Palestine stance.
Anderson, 76, has lost her coming professorship at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Germany, after a pro-Palestine letter she signed in 2021 recently resurfaced. She was due to begin teaching on April 1.
The writing, titled Letter Against Apartheid, was signed by a collective of more than 16,000 artists, authors and publishers. Signatories included Pulitzer Prize-winning writers Annie Baker, Tony Kushner, Hisham Matar and Viet Thanh Nguyen as well as acclaimed authors Ta-Nehisi Coates, Sally Rooney and Ocean Vuong.
The letter was written in response to violence that erupted in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem, when Palestinian families protested against Jewish settler groups.
“This is not a conflict. This is apartheid,” the letter said. It called on governments to apply sanctions and to cut trade, economic and cultural relations with Israel.
A recent statement released by the university said Anderson had withdrawn and referenced the 2021 letter.
“The university engaged in talks with Laurie Anderson and the Pina Bausch Foundation to discuss the extent to which Anderson would be able to carry out her planned artistic project at the Folkwang University of the Arts and ensure uninterrupted, focused work at this time,” it read.
“In light of the now public question regarding her political stance, Laurie Anderson has decided to withdraw from the professorship.
“Discussion and dialogue are indeed key pillars in the general philosophy of the Folkwang University of the Arts. However, art, culture and science should remain places where the boundaries of dialogue are open and expansive as a matter of principle, and where contentious issues are kept in check.
“The university strictly rejects any form of antisemitism, misanthropy or racism.”
The Pina Bausch Foundation, named after a Folkwang alumna, sponsors the professorship. Anderson said withdrawing is “the best way forward”.
She said: “For me, the question isn’t whether my political opinions have shifted. The real question is this: ‘Why is this question being asked in the first place?’ Based on this situation I withdraw.”
Anderson received a Lifetime Achievement honour at the Grammy Awards on Sunday. She was celebrated for her contribution of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording, the Recording Academy said.
She has been nominated for six Grammys throughout her career and won in 2019 for Landfall, which is a collaborative album with American group the Kronos Quartet.
Israeli forces have killed more than 27,000 Palestinians – mostly women and children – in Gaza since the war began in October.