ARC Condemns Whitney Museum’s Censorship of Palestinian Mourning Performance

Museum Cancels Pro-Palestinian Performance, Escalating Clampdown on Critical Artistic Expression

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

29 May 2025

(NEW YORK) – Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) is deeply alarmed by the Whitney Museum of American Art’s decision to cancel No Aesthetic Outside My Freedom: Mourning, Militancy, and Performance, a work that invited artists and audiences to engage in public mourning for Palestinians and reflect on colonial violence and global resistance. ” The performance was part of the public programming for a grammar of attention, the capstone exhibition organized by this year’s curatorial cohort of the Museum’s prestigious Independent Study Program (ISP).

ARC stands in solidarity with artists Noel Maghathe, Fadl Fakhouri, Fargo Tbakhi, ISP Associate Director Sara Nadal‑Melsió, and the entire ISP cohort. The abrupt cancellation, just two days before the performance, sets a deeply troubling precedent for how museums engage with political and socially-critical artists. We urge the Whitney to reinstate the performance and to embody its stated values to be “as experimental, responsive, and [as] risk-taking as the artists with whom [they] collaborate” and “lead with expertise, debate, self-reflection, and integrity.”

“The Whitney’s cancellation of No Aesthetic Outside My Freedom undermines the principles of artistic freedom and meaningful dialogue,” said ARC Executive Director Julie Trébault. “Museums are vital gathering spaces that should strive to uphold the highest standards of artistic freedom and make every effort to allow complex, and even discomfiting work to be seen and heard. The Whitney has failed in this respect, undermining the inclusivity principles they purport to defend. Selective silencing of works with little to no dialogue between institutions and artists risks creating an environment in which only certain forms of grief, protest, or identity are deemed acceptable. Artists must be free to speak truthfully about the realities of violence, colonialism, and loss.”

The performance was originally commissioned by Jewish Currents and titled after a line from Mahmoud Darwish’s State of Siege, offering a poetic reflection on transnational solidarity and the entanglements of colonial, capitalist, and anti-Black violence. The performance features texts by Natalie Diaz, Christina Sharpe, and Brandon Shimoda, and was set to be performed by artists Fadl Fakhouri, Noel Maghathe, and Fargo Tbakhi. It was reportedly canceled in response to a now-private video from an earlier iteration of the performance in which artist Fargo Tbakhi described Israel as “a continual process of extermination” and invited audience members who disagreed with the message to leave. That introduction, according to ISP Associate Director Nadal‑Melsió, was not included in the Whitney version. Nonetheless, the museum withdrew the event, without engaging with the curatorial team on their concerns, citing violations of “community guidelines.”

Nadal-Melsió has also noted that the cancellation follows an unprecedented pattern of heightened surveillance directed at the ISP, raising further alarm about institutional pressures and censorship. Founded in 1968, the ISP is an independent fellowship established by the Whitney that has historically been at the forefront of changing social currents and protest movements in the U.S. Through their art, its alumni have vocally protested against the Vietnam War, the Kent State Massacre, and the federal government’s indifference towards HIV/AIDS victims. This incident reflects a broader and growing pattern of censorship against pro-Palestinian speech and other marginalized and critical voices in the cultural and academic sectors across the country. This cancellation echoes trends documented in The Censorship Horizon: A Survey of Art Museum Directors, a joint publication by ARC, the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), and PEN America. The report, launched in January 2025, outlines how museums across the U.S. are facing rising pressures that result in the suppression of political art and marginalized narratives. The Whitney’s decision exemplifies the very threats to artistic freedom that our findings warn against.

About ARC
Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) is an international organization committed to promoting and advancing the right to artistic freedom worldwide. Founded in 2017, ARC works to protect artists and cultural workers who are at risk because of their creative expression, often connected to their identities or roles within their communities. By providing vital resources and support, ARC helps artists at risk overcome challenges like persecution, censorship, threats, and violence from both state and non-state actors—whether for their artistic expression or the broader impact they have on cultural, social, and political issues.

For press inquiries, please contact:

Julie Trébault
Executive Director
Artists at Risk Connection (ARC)
+1 646.860.5446