Barbican Faces Backlash for Cancelling Talk on Israel-Palestine, Art Collectors Withdraw Works

Art collectors withdraw works from the Barbican Centre in protest of the institution's decision to cancel a talk on the Israel-Palestine conflict, sparking allegations of censorship.

Art collectors Lorenzo Legarda Leviste and Fahad Mayet withdrew quilts from the Barbican's 'Unravel: The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art' exhibition in protest.
The Barbican cancelled a scheduled talk by Indian writer Pankaj Mishra on the Israel-Palestine conflict, titled 'The Shoah after Gaza'.
The cancellation and withdrawal of works have raised concerns about censorship and the suppression of free speech in the art world.
The London Review of Books (LRB) expressed disappointment over the Barbican's decision to cancel the talk, which was later hosted by St James Church and streamed online.
The Barbican stated that the event was publicized prematurely, preventing proper consideration of the sensitive content.