Max-Stefan Kosliks Israel exhibition: Safety concerns brakes presentation

Max-Stefan Kosliks Israel exhibition: Safety concerns brakes presentation

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania there is currently a real excitement: The planned photo exhibition on everyday life in Israel, the work of the Schwerin journalist Max-Stefan Koslik, has been postponed for an indefinite period. The reason for this decision is security concerns that result from the current situation in the Middle East conflict, as the SPD finance minister Heiko Geue explained. The exhibition was originally located in the Ministry of Finance, but was now to be presented in Schwerin Castle, where Landtag President Birgit Hesse sees a suitable location. A proposal to use the free exhibition rooms on the first floor was submitted, but the exact time and the modalities are still unclear. According to [Nordkurier] (https://www.nordkurier.de/regional/Schwerin/landtagspraesidentin-israel- Exhibition- von-max-Stefan-Koslik-IM-Schloss-Zeigen-3700547), the exhibition "Max-Stefan Koslik-Israel-Insprile" is to contain a total of 40 photographs that are life in Israel show.

The pictures that were taken during a longer stay in Jerusalem at the beginning of the year document everyday moments full of hope and encounters. The shift has a particularly tragic effect against the background of the current security situation in Germany, which has changed due to the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. This has prompted those responsible to examine organizational and structural protective measures in order to ensure the safety of the exhibition and its visitors.

perspective of politics

The reactions to the shift are mixed. While the state government considers the decision to be necessary, the CDU critically commented. The state party and parliamentary group leader Daniel Peters described the decision as a "fatal sign" and offered to present the exhibition in the rooms of the CDU parliamentary group. "We cannot push these important encounters into the background," says some statements. The political debate about the type of how security -relevant topics in art is dealt with is intensively.

This raises deeper questions that are also in the context of the continuing discussion about anti -Semitism and the politicization of the art business in Germany. A statement by Deutschlandfunk adds that many artists act in social and political contexts today, and the Middle East conflict in particular shape the political discussion in the art scene. Here it is demanded that artists question the terms and ideologies that occur in their work and to deal with the contradictions of the conflict.

culture needs a room

The exhibition of Koslik could make an important contribution to understanding everyday life in Israel and create a platform for a constructive dialogue. It remains to be seen how the state administration and the political committees react to the concern of the public and whether a suitable framework for the presentation of the exhibition can ultimately be found. Art needs space to deal with relevant, often controversial topics without security concerns inhibiting the creative flow.

The art world in Germany will undoubtedly be affected by the current developments, but it could also take the opportunity to re -position and promote a broad, open discussion - at least that's how the plea for an actively designed debate about the Middle East conflict and its effects on art.

The fates and stories that are captured in Koslik's photographs should not be in the shadows of fears and political considerations. Even if the exhibition was initially postponed, it remains to be hoped that a new time will be found to resume this important dialogue.