Last month, ANU students and staff, notably from the ANU Gaza Solidarity encampment, contributed to an exhibition at the ANU School of Art and Design (SOAD).
The exhibition featured artwork on student activism, including anti-war and pro-Palestinian activism, and artwork which criticised the ANU’s ties with weapons manufacturers and private corporations. The following day almost half of all the art disappeared from the exhibit, while a poster of the Palestinian flag and the Aboriginal flag was sawn in half to remove the Palestinian flag.
Note: The above only contains some images of the theft, more artwork was stolen from other areas in the exhibit.
Earlier this month, ANU students and staff, notably from the ANU Gaza Solidarity encampment, contributed to an exhibition at the ANU School of Art and Design (SOAD).
The exhibition featured artwork on student activism, including anti-war and pro-Palestinian activism, and artwork which criticised the ANU’s ties with weapons manufacturers and private corporations. The following day almost half of all the art disappeared from the exhibit, while a poster of the Palestinian flag and the Aboriginal flag was sawn in half to remove the Palestinian flag.
An ANU spokesperson told Woroni, “It has been brought to the University’s attention that a number of posters and banners relating to pro-Palestine activism were removed from a project space in the School of Art and Design’s main building…We want to make clear these materials were not removed by the University nor the School.” The School announced the same following the theft.
The University maintains it is, “investigating the matter to determine who may have removed and vandalised the materials. At this point, it is unclear as to who removed these materials.”
Woroni understands that a report regarding the theft has been filed to the ACT Police.
In a statement condemning the theft, Ivo, the organiser of the exhibition said, “The theft and vandalism of art from the ANU School of Art and Design clearly violates academic and artistic freedoms that are essential for the effective functioning of both the ANU and the ANU School of Art and Design.”
Ivo, who was a student at the SOAD, in addition has had a long standing history of exhibiting activist art at the ANU, which criticise the corporatisation, massification and casualisation in higher education. This recent exhibition was planned to be interactive, where students and staff could contribute to an “activist wall”.
Woroni understands that following the installation of the exhibition, a sign was planned to be posted saying that the exhibition was interactive.
Following the theft of the pieces, Ivo and other students met with SOAD management. According to the attendees, discussions with staff made it unclear whether security cameras were installed in the exhibition. The attendees also explained that SOAD management communicated that School staff felt unsafe, especially because they believed the poster featuring both the Aboriginal flag and Palestinian flag was cut in half with a sharp object.
During the meeting, SOAD management allegedly proposed to postpone the exhibition until semester two.
However, the following week, ANU announced that it would not continue with the exhibition. An ANU spokesperson told Woroni, “The School of Art & Design were not made aware of the interactive nature or content of the display of works in the Project Space installation.”
The ANU explained, “We are committed to a safe environment for our students, staff and community. The Project Space location is a busy thoroughfare, and we are unable to actively manage and monitor works on display at all hours, to ensure a safe working environment for all our community.”
“With this in mind, and after discussing with the organisers, we will not progress with this display of works in this location.”
For some students the decision reflects the University’s refusal to properly invest in the SOAD, while for many other students and staff, the theft and the ANU’s subsequent decision to not continue with the exhibition has sparked concerns about academic and creative freedom.
In particular the encampment has said, “We condemn the ANU for stoking divisions on our campus by publicly claiming that the presence of pro-Palestine paraphernalia on campus is hateful and harmful, thereby emboldening such vandalism.”
Earlier last the month, ANU Vice-Chancellor Genevieve Bell told the Senate during the Senate estimates hearing that the University actively attempts to take down stickers and posters which included pro-Palestinian messaging. These stickers included messages such as, “If you are not with Palestine, you are a psychopath”, “Zionism is terrorism” and stickers which feature a cross through the Israeli flag.
When questioned by Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson on the removal and the “hateful nature” of these stickers, the Vice-Chancellor said, “we work on removing them.”
An ANU spokesperson told Woroni, “The University undertakes regular clean-ups of all non-sanctioned stickers and posters across the University. To reiterate, all ANU staff and students are free to express themselves in line with the University’s codes of conduct and Australian law. This includes free speech through artwork, speeches and protest.”
Earlier in the year, the ANUSA Bla(c)k, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) department also reported the erasure of a pro-Palestine mural outside the department’s safe space.
ANUSA BIPOC Officer Selena Wania (she/her) told Woroni, “The BIPOC Department held an autonomous event for BIPOC students to come together to express their solidarity with Palestinians through creating a chalk mural on the brick wall outside BIPOC Base (BIPOC Department’s safe space).”
“Through art we’ve transformed a brick wall into a powerful statement of solidarity and resistance – one that reminds all those who walk past it that Palestine will be free.”
The mural was completed on the 26th of March, however, on the 16th of April, Wania found the mural was defaced.
She said, “There is very obviously a deliberate attempt to smudge the mural from the start to the end of its length.”
“Notably, this section of text was rubbed off the most: “’Land back’, ‘Free Palestine’, and ‘روح الروح ‘ translating to ‘soul of my soul’. Additionally, texts such as ‘From the river to the sea’ and ‘solidarity’ were also rubbed off.”
Wania raised concerns that the defacement, “highlights the pervasive nature of racism and the ongoing challenges faced by BIPOC students,” saying, “The defacement of the BIPOC Base mural, our autonomous safe space, is deeply concerning for us at the BIPOC Department and BIPOC students who utilise the space.”
She explains that the incident represents, “the ongoing challenges faced by BIPOC students where even in spaces designated as safe, BIPOC students are not truly protected from harmful behaviours.”
She calls on the ANU, “not only to address this specific act of vandalism but also to confront the broader issues of racism it represents,” adding, “The ANU must recognise this incident as a symptom of larger systemic issues and take decisive action to investigate, hold those responsible accountable, and implement proactive measures to ensure the safety and well-being of BIPOC students.”
Woroni understands that Wania has been in contact with the University in regards to the incident and that no perpetrator has yet been identified.
Since October last year, a number of campus posters including pro-Palestinian posters and posters advocating for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, have caused divisions in the student body, with many students reporting feeling unsafe due to the growing political activity on campus. In addition, posters made by Free Palestine Printing (FPP) can be found around the University, including in many residential halls.
According to ANU policy on academic freedom and freedom of speech, the duty to foster well being, “does not extend to a duty to protect any person from feeling offended, shocked or insulted by the lawful speech of another.”
The recent comments made by the Vice-Chancellor and the decision of the ANU to not continue with the exhibition has raised concerns of whether the University is properly upholding its own policies on academic freedom and freedom of speech.
The University has maintained, “ANU is a place of respectful debate, and we are proud of our long history of student political engagement. This includes free speech through the medium of art and protest. All ANU staff and students are free to express themselves in line with the University’s policies, codes of conduct and Australian law.”
ANU spokesperson has also said, “The [SOAD] has appropriate exhibition spaces to present works of a sensitive nature, where they can be appropriately managed, monitored and supported.” However, whether a similar exhibition on student activism, in particular a pro-Palestinian exhibition will return to the School is yet to be seen.
As of the date of publication, the ANU has not issued any updates on the investigation into the stolen artwork.
Woroni’s coverage of the protest and counter-protests will continue in the coming weeks.
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As always, please access support if these events or their coverage are distressing to you.
ANU Student Safety and Wellbeing Team
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