Students from the Rhode Island School of Design have accused the administration of censorship following the removal of an exhibition featuring dissident art that criticized Israel’s occupation of Palestine. The show, titled „To Every Orange Tree,“ opened on March 17 and included works from over 70 RISD students, staff, and local community members, focusing on anti-imperialist and liberation movements globally.
The controversy began after images of the exhibition were uploaded by the account StopAntisemitism, accusing the show of promoting violence against Jews and calling for the removal of Israel. The administration then ordered the closure of the building on March 21, without consulting the show’s host or creative team, RSJP.
RSJP reported that public safety officers, along with an Equity and Compliance staff member, photographed each artwork without disclosing the reasons for the closure. The administration asked RSJP to remove the artworks by 4:30 p.m. that day, or they would be deinstalled by the exhibitions director.
The Trump administration’s influence on college campuses has grown, with incidents like the arrest of a Tufts University PhD candidate for supporting Palestine. RISD offered to relocate the show to a different location, but protesters demanded transparency regarding the school’s investment portfolio and called for divestment from Israel.
Despite threats of expulsion, the encampment disbanded after the school’s board rejected divestment demands. RISD’s administration cited safety concerns as the reason for relocating the exhibition to a less accessible location.
RSJP claims there was no communication about safety concerns when organizing the show and that a request had been filed with the Center for Student Involvement per university protocol.
ARTnews has reached out to RISD administration for comment. Obwohl der Name der Show zu diesem Zeitpunkt nicht festgelegt wurde, machte die erste Werbung explizit klar, dass sie anti-koloniale, pro-Palästina-Themen enthielt.
„Es ist ironisch, dass die RISD sich als diese fortschrittliche Institution darstellt, die die materiellen Praktiken von Künstlern schätzt, wenn sie sich buchstäblich weigern, sich mit der Welt zu beschäftigen“, sagte der RSJP-Sprecher und fügte hinzu: „Wie können wir stolz auf einen Abschluss von einer Institution sein, die palästinensische Künstler und Designer aus ihrer Erzählung ausschließt?“