A smiling white woman with short-cropped hair and a green shirt. (This came out in the metatext.)
Posted on 01/30/2024 12:01:31 PM PST by nickcarraway
The New York–based artist and musician Laurie Anderson said she would not take up a visiting professor position at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Germany, amid scrutiny over her views on Palestine.
Earlier this month, the school announced that Anderson, who has produced such works as the hit 1981 song “O Superman,” had been appointed its Pina Bausch Professor, a position named after a famed dancer. But since that announcement, the school appears to have reneged on its decision, citing the fact that Anderson signed a 2021 open letter that urges support for Palestine.
The ARTnews Accord: Laurie Anderson and Julian Schnabel Talk 1970s New York, How Art Connects People, and More “To frame this as a war between two equal sides is false and misleading,” the letter reads. “Israel is the colonizing power. Palestine is colonized. This is not a conflict: this is apartheid.”
Moreover, the letter continues, “We have seen how governments in Europe and beyond recently have instated policies of open censorship, and fostered a culture of self-censorship, towards Palestinian solidarity. Conflating legitimate criticism of the State of Israel and its policies towards Palestinians with antisemitism is cynical. Racism, including antisemitism, and all forms of hate, are heinous and not welcome in the Palestinian struggle. It is time to stand up to these tactics of silencing and overcome them.”
She was one of thousands to sign the letter, whose signatories also included artists such as Nan Goldin, Kara Walker, Simone Leigh, and many more.
On Friday, the Folkwang University of the Arts issued a press release saying that Anderson would no longer be taking up the position at the school on April 1. Specifically, the release claimed that the letter “takes up boycott demands from the anti-Israel BDS movement,” even though neither the movement itself nor a boycott of Israel are ever mentioned in the text. (In Germany, BDS has been particularly controversial, with some political figures attempting to render it illegal.)
“For me the question isn’t whether my political opinions have shifted,” Anderson said in a statement. “The real question is this: Why is this question being asked in the first place? Based on this situation I withdraw from the project. My colleagues at the University and the Pina Bausch Foundation have discussed this with me at great length and we have jointly decided this is the best way forward.”
In its release, the university said the decision came amid “the context of the current discourse about freedom of art and freedom of expression.”
It was the latest such development in a country whose art scene has been roiled by the October 7 Hamas attack, with many artists who voice pro-Palestine views facing the prospect of canceled exhibitions and withdrawn opportunities.
Earlier this month, Berlin attempted to implement a funding clause reliant upon a definition of antisemitism that many said would be used to keep pro-Palestine artists from receiving money. After mass protests, the funding clause was ultimately repealed.
A smiling white woman with short-cropped hair and a green shirt. (This came out in the metatext.)
Is she even a biological woman?!
Yes. Was married to Lou Reed for a couple decades when he died.
We love you Folkwang
Oh yes we do.
We love you Folkwang
FU!
I used to ask that question back in the 1980s.
Being married to Lou Reed merely encourages the question.
Who really wants Folkwang on their resume?
Then you post a picture of that..that..thing!.
Eye bleach:
I vaguely remember her name from the punk era. Yeah we’re all older now but obviously not wiser in her case.
Lonely and bored with Lou gone, and they both loved Germany, but nice kick in the jimmies as she knows why this question is being asked in the first place. Own it, Laurie.
She looks like one of them.
The real question is this: Why was she ever offered a visiting professorship, or begin with?
I bet she is most known for her song with Peter Gabriel.
Deutschen loved Lou Reed, for all I know they still do. She's Mrs. Lou to them for the most part, although O Superman had some European success in the early 80s. Think Talking Heads minus the actual talent of Jerry Harrison and Chris Frantz.
Seriously...a toilet plunger on the podium?
I was a great fan of his, as well, starting with Genesis. Great originality and a beautiful smoky voice—plus dancing and singing with great intensity. He was an astounding performer. This is him performing "In Your Eyes" in the round:
Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes (Secret World Live)
30 years ago and still so appealing. Ah, youth -- to be able to jump all around for twenty minute and still hit one's notes with full breath. Paula Cole accompanying them and the Papa Wemba band Molokai are also incredible.
But I digress. Is this the duet you have in mind with Gabriel and Laurie Anderson?:
This is the Picture (Excellent Birds)
They seem more interested in their video experimentation than the music on that one. Reminds me of Talking Heads and David Byrne...
ROTFL!
You don’t think the bassist was good?
You don’t think the bassist was good?
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