French Artists Call for Boycott of Pompidou’s Seoul Outpost over Partner Foundation’s Ties to Israel
On Wednesday ahead of the June 4 opening of the Centre Pompidou’s Seoul satellite museum, a group of prominent French artists published an open letter calling for a boycott of the new outpost, officially named the Centre Pompidou Hanwha. The letter protests the partnership with the Hanwha Foundation of Culture, linked to the Hanwha Group, which in 2021 formed ties with Israeli firms Elbit Systems and Elta Systems; Elbit reportedly recently signed a $100 million contract with Israel’s defense department. First published as an op-ed in Libération, the petition describes the museum as an “art-washing” operation and calls for termination of the partnership; signatories include Ali Cherri, Lili Reynaud-Dewar, Ariella Aïsha Azoulay, Mounir Fatmi, Théo Mercier, and Élisabeth Lebovici. The op-ed appeared the same day the venue hosted a Chanel runway show attended by figures including Tilda Swinton, Marion Cotillard, Jennie, and G-Dragon, and the Pompidou did not immediately comment.
From This Briefing
This story was covered in Boycotts, Closures, and the Museum Loot Legacy