Documenta 16 artists decline invitations over Gaza, curator Naomi Beckwith says

Some artists have turned down invitations to Documenta 16 because of Germany's position on Israel's war in Gaza.

That is what Naomi Beckwith, the curator of Documenta 16, has said. Her comments were reported by ARTnews on 18 September 2026. The report did not name the artists or say how many had declined.

Beckwith is the Artistic Director of the next documenta, the large exhibition of contemporary art held in Kassel, Germany. She was appointed to the role in December 2024 by an international selection committee, according to documenta. The job puts one person in charge of the artistic programme for an event that takes years to prepare.

Her appointment was a first for the organisation. Beckwith is the first Black woman to curate documenta, and the second American-born curator to do so, according to Artforum. That history matters because documenta has long been led by European curators.

For readers new to it, documenta is a German quinquennial. That is a term for an event held every five years. It was founded in 1955, and the next edition, Documenta 16, will be held in Kassel, according to ArtReview. Artists are invited by the artistic director. An invitation can shape careers, loans and future museum shows.

The refusals come after a difficult period for the institution. Documenta's administration condemned ruangrupa for liking pro-Palestine posts, according to ArtAsiaPacific. That dispute left questions about artistic freedom, funding and the relationship between artists, organisers and the German state.

For visitors, this matters in a direct way. Who accepts and who stays away decides what will be on view in Kassel. Beckwith has not said whether replacement invitations will be issued. The list of participants has still to be confirmed.