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Naomi Beckwith Named Artistic Director of Documenta 16

The Guggenheim curator will lead the 2027 exhibition, following reforms after the 2022 antisemitism controversy.

  • Naomi Beckwith, deputy director and chief curator at New York's Guggenheim Museum, will oversee Documenta 16, set to take place from June 12 to September 19, 2027, in Kassel, Germany.
  • Beckwith succeeds Ruangrupa, the Indonesian collective whose 2022 leadership of Documenta 15 faced widespread criticism over antisemitic imagery in exhibited works.
  • The appointment follows significant delays caused by resignations in the original selection committee after allegations of antisemitism against one of its members.
  • Documenta has implemented structural reforms, including plans for a scientific advisory board, but opted not to require Beckwith to adhere to a formal code of conduct.
  • Beckwith emphasized her commitment to curatorial integrity, stating she will ensure all exhibited works respect human dignity and reject racism, discrimination, and antisemitism.
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