Minister Gayton McKenzie on Venice Biennale decision

As the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, I have noted misinformation, misdirection and insult in public statements and media reports surrounding my decision to cancel the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture’s (DSAC’s) working agreement with Art Periodic.

I wish to place on the record that it is incorrect to report that DSAC has withdrawn any funding from Art Periodic in staging an exhibition at the 2026 Venice Biennale. The agreement between DSAC and Art Periodic was to make our exhibition space available to Art Periodic to promote the work of a South African artist or artists at the exhibition, with the rental of space at the South African Pavilion in Venice already having been paid for. Public resources were therefore already invested in the project prior to any relationship with Art Periodic coming into effect.

Art Periodic undertook to raise funding from the South African private sector to stage an exhibition. However, when it was brought to my attention that a foreign country had allegedly undertook to fund South Africa’s exhibition, this was raised as a concern with Art Periodic, who clarified that – according to their understanding – this foreign country had actually undertaken to purchase the artworks concerned following the conclusion of the Biennale.

This nevertheless still raised alarm, as it was being alleged that South Africa’s platform was being used as a proxy by a foreign power to endorse a geopolitical message about the actions of Israel in Gaza.

This foreign country has its own resources, so why not rent its own space and fund its own message to convey its feelings about Israel and Gaza?

South Africa’s position on Israel and Gaza is clear. Maybe this country’s position should also be stated clearly – by them, and not indirectly through another country’s platforms.

The South African government has an official position on Gaza, and I have always been careful to keep my personal political views out of my job as a Minister. Whether it is on immigration or foreign policy, I do not use the Ministry in a manner that runs counter to the position of the state.

No censorship has been exercised either, but I retain my discretion as the Executive Authority of the Department to promote South African art and artists, and to be wary of artists being paid to become involved in geopolitical narratives that have the potential to cause unneeded division and bring DSAC and my Ministry into disrepute.

The artists involved in this must come clean about who was paying for this. Even the Daily Maverick journalist was told about this concern, but never mentioned it in his article, presumably because it did not favour the narrative that he was framing against me.

As South Africa, we have our own story to tell and as government we should use every opportunity to promote our country. Why would I not use the world’s biggest art platform in Venice to promote South Africa?

We shall give access at the Biennale to artists who promote our country. That is my position and it is not something I will be bullied or shamed about. I have used, and will always use, every opportunity I have to sell our country to the world, because I am a patriot, and nothing and no one will change that.

If our platform is to instead be used by other countries to push their own agendas, then we should give all countries a chance to gain access to our platform and have an equal opportunity to spread their messages by using the South African Pavilion in Venice.

That, however, would be insanity. In the interests of safeguarding our sovereignty and reputation on the international stage, I therefore took the decision to cancel the Art Periodic partnership and retake full control of the management of the South African Pavilion in Venice.

For media enquiries:

Ms. Stacey-Lee Khojane, Spokesperson: Office of the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
Email: StaceyK@dsac.gov.za 
Cell: +27 77 608 7579

Ms Zimasa Velaphi, Head of Communication and Marketing: Department of Sport, Arts and Culture
Email: ZimasaV@dsac.gov.za 
Cell: +27 72 172 8925

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