Citing Silencing of Arab Voices, Artists Cut Ties With Art Canada Institute
about 5 months ago (12/07/2023)
Citing Silencing of Arab Voices, Artists Cut Ties With Art Canada Institute Skip to content Rana Nazzal Hamadeh, "Untitled" (2020), color digital photograph, inkjet on vinyl, 60 inches x 120 inches (image courtesy of the artist) A number of artists and curators have said they are cutting ties with Art Canada Institute (ACI) after the arts nonprofit was accused late last month of attempting to suppress the voices of a group of Arab and Muslim artists. A dozen Canadian artists are accusing the online art platform, which is part of the Massey College at the University of Toronto, of failing to uphold its own mission statement after the organization asked the participants of a group photography exhibition for a last-minute “sensitivity review” just days before the show was slated to go live. Amid the fallout, several other artists have withdrawn from projects with the ACI, citing Founder and Executive Director Sara Angel’s backing of a letter targeting former Art Gallery of Ontario curator Wanda Nanibush.