Joint Statement by PEN South Africa and PEN Afrikaans on the Cancellation of South Africa’s Venice Biennale Submission

PEN South Africa and PEN Afrikaans are deeply disturbed by the recent decision of the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr Gayton McKenzie, to cancel the work selected to represent South Africa at the 61st Venice Biennale. According to a report by the Daily Maverick, the decision was made after the work had already been selected through a rigorous and independent curatorial process. The grounds for its cancellation are reportedly ‘because of content related to the deaths of women and children in Gaza.’ Reports indicate that Minister McKenzie deemed the artwork in question, Elegy by the acclaimed South African artist Gabrielle Goliath, as ‘highly divisive in nature’ due to its subject matter and therefore inappropriate for national representation abroad.

As organisations committed to defending freedom of expression and the autonomy of writers and artists, we are troubled by the Minister’s blatant act of censorship. However, as concerning as this incident is, it cannot be seen in isolation. In October 2025, PEN South Africa and PEN Afrikaans issued a joint statement expressing concern about the withdrawal of state support from major arts and literary festivals, and the lack of engagement with the sector regarding these decisions. At the time, we cautioned that arbitrary or unilateral actions by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture damage an already fragile arts ecosystem and signal a disregard for the role that independent cultural institutions play in a democratic society. The cancellation of the Venice Biennale submission reinforces these concerns and suggests a troubling pattern of political intervention in artistic and cultural life.

Gabrielle Goliath’s Elegy was selected by a committee comprised of art historians, curators, critics and other highly respected figures from the arts sector. Echoing their position, PEN South Africa and PEN Afrikaans express their ‘unequivocal support for the artist, the curator, and their project in the face of political pressure and attempts to silence free expression and compromise artistic integrity’. We also call on the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture to commit to safeguarding artistic autonomy and to ensure that no artist is censored for addressing human rights concerns or global injustices.