{"id":47514,"date":"2025-09-12T01:54:25","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T08:54:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/?p=47514"},"modified":"2025-09-11T08:02:18","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T15:02:18","slug":"problematic-work-in-exhibit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/2025\/09\/12\/problematic-work-in-exhibit\/","title":{"rendered":"Problematic work in exhibit"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cDelible (poppy, watermelon, wheat, walnut, blackberry)\u201d is on display at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria until Oct. 26, as part of the Architectures of Protection exhibition. <\/i>(photo by Toni Hafkenscheid, courtesy Susan Hobbs Gallery)<\/i><\/p>\n

<\/i>Beth Stuart\u2019s \u201cDelible (poppy, watermelon, wheat, walnut, blackberry)\u201d is part of the Architectures of Protection exhibition, which opened at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (AGGV) on May 24 and ends Oct. 26.<\/p>\n

In each of the five \u201cDelible\u201d pieces, a black ledge has replicas of food items on top of it and a length of black mesh suspended below. Stuart used plaster, iron oxide pigment, dyed silk, steel and Sumi ink to create the works. The replicas are casts of halved walnuts, pizza crusts, poppy hulls, blackberries and watermelon seeds. According to the artist, each original mold was made from the source itself, except for the watermelon seeds, which were cast from clay originals.<\/p>\n

On a wall leading to the five pieces, there is a several-square-foot textual display featuring more than 1,600 words, written entirely in capital letters, with the thoughts seeming to randomly jump from one topic to another; there are no paragraphs, but the words cover five columns. The text, an integral element of the overall artwork, was hand-stenciled by Stuart and relates to the physical pieces.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>
Beth Stuart\u2019s \u201cDelible (poppy, watermelon, wheat, walnut, blackberry)\u201d installation comprises a wall of text and five structures. (photo by Mike Andrew McLean, courtesy Art Gallery of Greater Victoria)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The text begins with mention of the Himalayan blackberry, an invasive species in British Columbia, and then moves to Luther Burbank, an American botanist, horticulturist and eugenicist, before discussing the Armenian Genocide (1915-16) and Canada\u2019s residential schools.<\/p>\n

In the middle portion of the textual display, Stuart describes what she sees as the plight of Gazans and the attitudes of certain Israelis.<\/p>\n

\u201cAS I WRITE, THERE HAS BEEN NO AID OF ANY KIND FOR ALMOST TWO MONTHS AND EVERY WATER DESALINATION PLANT HAS BEEN BOMBED,\u201d Stuart writes. \u201cIN EARLY 2024 THERE WAS A CLIP CIRCULATING FROM ISRAELI CHANNEL 14, OF A PUNDIT SAYING EVERY PALESTINIAN OVER THE AGE OF FOUR YEARS IS A POTENTIAL TERRORIST AND A NECESSARY TARGET OF WAR. SINCE THEN TWO KNESSET MEMBERS HAVE DECLARED PUBLICLY THAT EVEN INFANTS ARE TERRORISTS. THE DELIBLES BAGS ARE APPROXIMATELY THE SIZE OF A BAG OF FLOUR OF THE TYPE THAT SOMETIMES ARRIVES IN GAZA, AND ALSO COULD CONTAIN THE BODY OF A FOUR-YEAR-OLD CHILD.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stuart then talks about tree-planting, which she apparently did in university, then writes: \u201cTHIS IS THE FOURTH VERSION OF THIS TEXT I HAVE WRITTEN OVER THE PAST 20 MONTHS. THIS WEEK THERE ARE MASSIVE WILDFIRES NEAR OCCUPIED JERUSALEM. THEY ARE BURNING IN AYALON CANADA PARK, A SEVEN SQUARE KILOMETER PARK LOCATED IN OCCUPIED PALESTINE. THERE HAD BEEN THREE PALESTINIAN VILLAGES ON THIS LAND IN 1948. AND APPROXIMATELY 10,000 PALESTINIANS WERE KILLED OR EXPELLED FROM THE AREA AND THE VILLAGES RAZED.\u201d<\/p>\n

She talks more about \u201cTHE ORGANIZATION THAT FUNDED THE PARK\u201d without naming it and then raises the issue of the Canadian government\u2019s involvement with Israel and, specifically, its military.<\/p>\n

\u201cBETWEEN OCTOBER 7TH 2023 AND THE FIRST WRITING OF THIS TEXT, MY GOVERNMENT HAD SENT 30 MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF MILITARY SUPPORT TO ISRAEL,\u201d she writes. \u201cON SEPTEMBER 10TH 2024 THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT CLAIMED THAT THEY WERE NO LONGER SENDING ANY ARMS TO ISRAEL. IN FACT, WHILE CONTRACTS FOR ARMS SALES ARE NOT BEING OFFERED, ONLY 12% OF EXISTING CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED, AND MANY PARTS, RAW MATERIALS AND MUNITIONS ARE BEING SOLD TO THE U.S. AND THEN SENT TO ISRAEL. CANADA ALSO BUYS ARMS AND SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY FROM ISRAEL.\u201d<\/p>\n

The text moves into Stuart\u2019s comments on residential schools before she concludes with the sentence: \u201cFOR THE SECOND SPRING SINCE OCTOBER 7, 2023 THE BLACKBERRY HEDGES ARE BLOOMING.\u201d<\/p>\n

To at least one member of the Victoria Jewish community, Stuart\u2019s work is an example of \u201cartfully coded antisemitism \u2013 all the more reprehensible for its coyness.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn itself, \u2018Delibles\u2019 are very beautiful, evocative works,\u201d Maurice Yacowar, a professor emeritus (English and film studies) of the University of Calgary, wrote in a letter to the art gallery that was also sent to the Independent<\/i>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat renders the work problematic is the full-wall text \u2013 in spectral grey \u2013 that accompanies the sculptures,\u201d Yacowar said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He said,\u201cAs a whole, the work contrasts the self-renewal of nature\u2019s produce with humans\u2019 murderousness. Unfortunately, the art is undermined by the artist\u2019s ignorance and prejudice in its Palestinian references.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said Stuart misrepresents Israel and its media by choosing to reference a news outlet \u201cthat even in Israel is considered extremist.\u201d And, he argues,\u201cShe omits the Oct. 7 context. A Hamas spokesman flatly stated, \u2018There are no civilians in Israel\u2019 \u2013 ie., only targets in war.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stuart\u2019s exhibit does not include the word \u201cHamas.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a statement to the Independent<\/i>, the AGGV said:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe gallery is aware that some members of the community disagree with the subject matter of a current work of art on display. We are always interested to hear how the public, and our members, respond to our exhibitions. We also embrace learning, new ideas and critical perspectives.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the AGGV, we respect the artists and curators who work with us to create exceptional exhibitions. As an arts institution, our role is to amplify artists\u2019 voices and create space for conversation and learning. We encourage an exchange of ideas that results in meaningful dialogue and understanding through art.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Architectures of Protection exhibition, in the synopsis posted by the AGGV, is supposed to reflect \u201con ideas and modes of protection and refuge \u2013 with regards to oneself, to community, knowledge, culture, identity and land. What are these spaces and practices? What is protection for some and not for others?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Together, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and in the current global social and political climate, the artworks in Architectures of Protection direct critical attention towards systems and structures that shape and impact everyday and sacred environments and encounters, alongside individual and collective relationships with the land.\u201d<\/p>\n

The exhibit also features the artwork of Dana Claxton, Jessica Karuhanga, Emilio Rojas and France Tr\u00e9panier.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sam Margolis<\/b> has written for the <\/i>Globe and Mail, the <\/i>National Post, UPI and MSNBC.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cDelible (poppy, watermelon, wheat, walnut, blackberry)\u201d is on display at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria until Oct. 26, as part of the Architectures of Protection exhibition. (photo by Toni Hafkenscheid, courtesy Susan Hobbs Gallery) Beth Stuart\u2019s \u201cDelible (poppy, watermelon, wheat, walnut, blackberry)\u201d is part of the Architectures of Protection exhibition, which opened at the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":47516,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[989],"tags":[24303,801,24304,24299,24305,3157,3956,687,2791,23510,4330,9017],"class_list":["post-47514","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-visual-arts","tag-aggv","tag-antisemitism","tag-art-gallery-of-greater-victoria","tag-artwork","tag-beth-stuart","tag-canada","tag-first-nations","tag-gaza","tag-genocide","tag-global-politics","tag-israel","tag-sculpture"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47514","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47514"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47514\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47516"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}