DEMAND THE KOFFLER CENTRE OF THE ARTS
DIVEST FROM ZIONIST FUNDING
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic & Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) calls for all artists, cultural workers, and cultural organizations to boycott and/or refuse work with Israel’s cultural organizations and lobby groups. As the PACBI campaign states: “Israel overtly uses culture as a form of propaganda to whitewash or justify its regime of occupation, settler-colonialism and apartheid over the Palestinian people.” Following the PACBI directives that have demonstrable success and material effects, to show solidarity with the Palestinian people, and with the goal of ending the violent and horrific Israeli occupation of Palestine—we invite artists, authors, cultural workers, and cultural organizations to boycott the Koffler Centre of the Arts in Toronto, Canada, until the demands of this statement are met.
While the Koffler has shifted to a social justice mandate, presenting work that is critical of settler colonialism and working with numerous racialized and politicized artists and organizations, this has not been extended to the Palestinian context. This is artwashing, in service of obfuscating its relationships to funders that uphold Israeli apartheid, namely the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) Federation.
The UJA Federation funds Koffler programming. It is an international organization that provides social services to the Jewish community and has explicitly Zionist goals. The UJA supports mass immigration to Israel. This Zionist strategy affords all Jews the right to Israeli citizenship, while Palestinian refugees are denied the right to return home. As stated on the UJA’s website, one of their other objectives is to aggressively undermine Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) solidarity activism: “In particular, combating the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) on college and university campuses will be a key focus of our efforts.”
The Koffler also has a history of silencing anti-Zionist artists who support Palestine. In 2009, the Koffler publicly dissociated themselves from the Jewish artist Radiodress (Orev Reena Katz), after having worked together on an extensive exhibition for over a year, because the artist expressed anti-Zionist views on their personal Facebook account by endorsing Israeli Apartheid Week. (At the time, the Koffler was an agency of the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.)
The Koffler publicized their statement on cutting ties with the artist to their partners and Jewish community members, essentially ending the exhibition and poisoning the relationships the Jewish artist had with their community. Although the artist explicitly stated "I have said that I'm an anti-Zionist Jew," the Koffler doubled down in its statement: “Zionism is the realization of Israel as a Jewish state. When one makes statements calling for the end of Zionism, one is making a statement about the end of Israel as a Jewish state.”
In that statement, the Koffler falsely conflates the violent settler colonial ideology of Zionism with the Jewish people’s self determination.
A search through the Koffler’s forty-four year exhibition history shows only one instance where they presented work by a Palestinian artist, in a group digital publication in 2020. Other than that one instance, they haven’t shown any work by a Palestinian artist, nor any other work that is explicitly critical of Zionism. For an organization whose mandate is “to value and foster social justice, equality and inclusivity,” the absence of Palestinian narratives within its programming, or of critiques of the Zionist settler colonial movement, sends a clear statement on who deserves justice and equality and who doesn’t.
Statement of solidarity:
In solidarity with Palestinians who have called for a boycott of cultural institutions that promote acceptance of Israel’s ongoing occupation of Palestine, we the undersigned make a public commitment not to show at, collaborate with, or participate in any events taking place at the Koffler Centre of the Arts.
We will uphold this pledge until the Koffler Centre of the Arts fulfils all of the following demands:
In accordance with the guidelines of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic & Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), we call on artists and cultural workers everywhere to observe this collective refusal.
From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.
If you would like to add your name to this list, please email: boycottkoffler@gmail.com
Individuals:
Alessandra Abballe Hiba Abdallah Terrence Abrahams Ibrahim Abusitta Andrea Actis Kieran Adams Julie Agro Misbah Ahmed Iain Ailles Saba Akhtar Mina Akida Ambihai Akilan Mitchell Akiyama asmaa al-issa Tina Zafreen Alam Jahsway Alaniz Andrea Vela Alarcón Noor Alé Mona Ali Ahmed Alkoka Sami Alwani Yasmin Aly Basil AlZeri Pardiss Amerian Faraz Anoushahpour Parastoo Anoushahpour Aeman Ansari Jade Armstrong Jacqui Arntfield Nasim Asgari Fady Ashour Magdalyn Asimakis Ghazaleh Avarzamani Nedda Baba Shelly Bahl Claudine Baltazar Sharlene Bamboat Marya Bangash Alana Bartol Emily Barton Christina Battle Mubashir Baweja Madelyne Beckles Katherine Bell Kat Benedict Vida Beyer Alyssa Bistonath Sarah-Tai Black Susan Blight Catherine Bluemke sarah bodri Kiera Boult Xenia Benivolski Yuula Benivolski Ron Benner Adriana Berardini Jeff Bierk Nicholas Bierk Eva Birhanu Nour Bishouty Patrick Blenkarn Raymond Boisjoly Jalil Bokhari Navaporn Boonmasiri Amanda Boulos Rebecca Brewer Maegan Broadhurst B Brookbank Nicholas Brown Valentin Brown Vanessa Brown Jac Renée Bruneau Kristine Buerano Phu Bui Hannah Bullock Allison Burda Lex Burgoyne Bill Burns Imani Busby Andrew Buszchak Angel Callander Jonathan Carroll Jennifer Carvalho Rebecca Casalino David Caterini Sajida Chagpar Riaz Charania Hannia Cheng Victoria Cheong Mahdi Chowdhury Michelle Cieloszczyk Michele Pearson Clarke Miles Collyer Katherine Connell Sarah Couture McPhail Elora Crawford Andrea Creamer Amina Creighton-Kelly Lisa Cristinzo Erica Cristobal Adrienne Crossman Rachel Crummey Patrick Cruz Jesse Cumming Thirza Cuthand Kari Cwynar Gabi Dao Benjamin de Boer Samuel de Lange Michael Deforge Elsa Delage Roya DelSol Laura Demers Yannick Desranleau Sanjit Dhillon Camila Diaz-Varela Krish Dineshkumar Idil Djafer Pamela Dodds Ralitsa Doncheva Petrija Dos Santos Mark Dudiak Claudia Edwards Amelia Ehrhardt Eshrat Erfanian Tammer El-Sheikh Azza El Siddique Rah Eleh Leanne Elizabeth Bishara Elmi Azadeh Elmizadeh Danica Evering Scott Everingham Serena Lee Everingham Shirin Fahimi Fadel Fakhouri Mitra Fakhrashrafi Leila Fatemi Holly Fedida Megan Feheley Dallas Fellini Ryan Ferko Louie Fermor Eva Fernández Ojeda Sonya Filman Emily Fitzpatrick Genevieve Flavelle Brendan Flanagan Pete Florentini Maggie Flynn Juliane Foronda Stephanie Fortin Sylvie Fortin Morris Fox Jason Fox Kandis Friesen Sara Funk Marisa Gallemit Rebecca Garrett Alisa Gayle-Deutsch Corinn Gerber Nilou Ghaemi | Jana Ghalayini Julie Gibb Tobin Gibson Megan Gnanasihamany Vanessa Godden Nadia Gohar Samir Gokhul Mike Goldby Zachary Goldkind sue goldstein Talia Golland Beau Gomez Alyssa Goodman Ayumi Goto Francisco-Fernando Granados Celia Green Claire Greenshaw Hannah Guinan Freda Guttman k.g. Guttman Samra Habib Amanda Abdel Hadi Lamis Haggag Greta Hamilton Maeve Hanna Zain Ali Haneef Farheen Haq Brileigh Hardcastle Melissa Harendorf Claire Harvie Jamelie Hassan Alison Hendra Julia Hendrickson Tetyana Herych Nathan Heuvingh Emily Hill Eli Hirtle SF Ho John Hodgins Aryen Hoekstra Esmé Hogeveen Emily Hogg Alexandra Hong Madeleine Hope-Fraser sheena hoszko Julian Hou Lucy Howe Oliver Husain Serene Husni Julia Huynh andi icaza-largaespada Onyeka Igwe Karina Iskandarsjah Luis Jacob Alex Jacobs-Blum Jessica Jang Edwin Janzen Tashnim Jerin Brannavy Jeyasundaram Camille Jodoin-Eng Aisha Sasha John Joyce Joumaa Nomi Juhasz Kablusiak Paul Kajander Felix Kalmenson Maya Kamal Abedar Kamgari Adrienne Kammerer Laurie Kang Nafisa Kaptownwala Jessica Karuhanga Parker Kay Nika Khanjani Luna Khods Akbar Khatir Areum Kim Enna Kim Natalie King Ruilan King Adam Kinner Mary Kirkpatrick Brendan George Ko Kate Kolberg Zahra Komeylian Jacob Korczynski Matthew Koudys Wafa Ktaech Christy Kunitzky Nadia Kurd Miyako Kurihashi Kohila Kurunathan HaeAhn Kwon Patrick Kyle Braden Labonté Tiziana La Melia Christopher Lacroix Jennifer Laflamme Lee Lai Amy Lam Tristram Lansdowne Ginette Lapalme Lauren Lavery Missy LeBlanc Cameron Lee Jane Lee Katie Lee Su-Ying Lee Max Lester Wenting Li Chelsey Lichtman Oslavia Linares Erin Logan Gareth Long Joni Low Jamiyla Lowe Eunice Luk Chloë Lum Morris Lum Alvin Luong Marvin Luvualu Phillip Ly Madeleine Lychek Clara Lynas Rowan Lynch Annie MacDonell Mickey Mackenna Luke Maddaford Hailey Mah Sameen Mahboubi Anna Malla Fabien Maltais-Bayda Nahed Mansour Jenine Marsh Maria Isabel Martinez Hugh Mater Pamila Matharu Maddy Mathews Emerson Maxwell Fraser McCallum Dan Cardinal McCartney Laura McCoy Kyle McCrea Jonathan J McCurley Robin Alex McDonald Abby McGuane Jesse McKee Emma McKenna Zephyr McKenna Paula McLean Chandra Melting Tallow Immony Men Chris Mendoza Sonali Menezes Sofia Mesa Phuong Nguyen Jonathan Middleton Tricia Middleton Melody Mikhail Darby Milbrath Bria Miller scott miller berry Alexander Millington | Isabel Mink Olia Mishchenko Anupa Mistry Alexis Mitchell Haley Mlotek Maryam Monadi Kate Monro John Monteith Julie Moon Monica Moraru Gabriel Moreau Peter Morin Khadijah Morley Ella Morton Bridget Moser Gabrielle Moser Taimaz Moslemian Nadia Moss Olivia Mossuto Soledad Fatima Muñoz Christian Muñoz Morrison Aamna Muzaffar Zinnia Naqvi Alicia Nauta Petrina Ng Rana Nazzal Rehab Nazzal Yasmeen Nematt Alla Yahn Nemirovsky Robert Nolan Bahar Noorizadeh Sylvia Nowak Philip Ocampo Robert Anthony O'Halloran Ananya Ohri Sean O’Neill Sophia Oppel Scott Osborne Abdi Osman Aliya Pabani Andrew James Paterson Carrie Perreault Cleopatria Peterson Danica Pinteric Cadence Planthara María-Saroja Ponnambalam David Poolman Cotey Pope Alison Postma Leila Pourtavaf Dana Prieto Ali S. Qadeer Radiodress Mahshid Rafiei Ashley Raghubir Sadiah Rahman Dhvani Ramanujam Amrit Randay Chris Randle Elise Rasmussen Em Ratkovsky Jocelyn Reynolds Heather Rigg Mehrnaz Rohbakhsh Camille Rojas Laura Rojas Jamie Ross Daniel Rotsztain Chelsea Rozansky Vince Rozario Lauren Runions Aseman Sabet Melina Sabeti-Mehr Sophie Sabet jes sachse Sona Safaei-Sooreh Arezu Salamzadeh Jayce Salloum Daniella Sanader Leah Sandals Aman Sandhu Sarah Sarofim Simon Schlesinger Tiffany Schofield Seth Scriver Morgan Sears-Williams Lea Rose Sebastianis Meera Sethi Angela Shackel Farihah Aliyah Shah Bronte Shamata-Gardner Bhavika Sharma Sid Sharp Cason Sharpe Zoe Imani Sharpe Brittany Shepherd Kim Simon Robin Simpson Christian Siroyt Lisa Deanne Smith Margaux Smith Matt Smith Lisa Smolkin Tabban Soleimani Florencia Sosa Rey Anni Spadafora Genne Speers Danielle St-Amour Brian St. Denis Jessie Stein Sean Ross Stewart Erica Stocking Brett Story Hannah Strauss Colette Stubbings Erin Stump Rowena Tam Swapnaa Tamhane Leif Magne Tangen Jordan Tannahill Shaheer Tarar Erdem Taşdelen Sarah May Taylor Polina Teif Aashna Thakkar Laura Tibi Paul Tjepkema Toleen Touq Naty Tremblay Carolyn Tso Diana Lynn VanderMeulen Indu Vashist Krys Verrall Uma Vespaziani Joshua Vettivelu Bojana Videkanic Dalbert B. Vilarino Cathryn Virginia Justin Seiji Waddell Ellyn Walker Ema Walters Dylan Watts Emma Welch Emma White Kate Whiteway Jayne Wilkinson Christopher Willes Jordan Wilson Amy Wong Annie Wong Joy Wong Stephanie Wong Ken Chris Worden Jacob Wren Lina Wu Joy Xiang Florence Yee Kendra Yee Merna Yousef Isabel Zaw-Tun Shellie Zhang Alize Zorlutuna |
Institutions and organizations:
Art Metropole, Toronto
Arts Assembly artist-run centre, Toronto, Vancouver
Bunker 2, Toronto
Cassandra Cassandra Gallery, Toronto
CFMDC, Toronto
Chinatown Biennial, Toronto
CUE Art Projects, Toronto
Dead Projects collective, Toronto
Femme Art Review, Toronto
Gendai Gallery, Toronto
Hearth, Toronto
IC Contemporary, Toronto
The Khyber Centre for the Arts, Halifax
ma ma art space, Toronto
Peripheral Review, Toronto
Pumice Raft, Toronto
SAVAC (South Asian Visual Arts Centre), Toronto
shell projects, Toronto
Silverfish Magazine, Toronto
Tamil Archive Project
The Table artist run project space, Toronto
Tea Base Community Arts Space, Toronto
Whippersnapper Gallery, Toronto
Wildseed Centre For Art and Activism, Toronto
Unit 17, Vancouver
Xpace Cultural Centre, Toronto