What the Gabrielle Goliath case has meant for SA’s art world
Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie’s censorship of Gabrielle Goliath’s video-based project Elegy at the Venice Biennale sent shock waves through the art world, and its reverberations are still being felt. Goliath and the Campaign for Free Expression recently won leave to appeal the February court decision not to overturn McKenzie’s decision to remove the exhibit.
The Gabrielle Goliath case has sent shockwaves through South Africa's art world, with its implications still being felt. Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie censored Goliath's video-based project, Elegy, at the Venice Biennale, causing controversy due to its focus on femicide, LGBTQI+ violence, and the death of a Palestinian poet in Gaza.
McKenzie's decision to remove the exhibit led to an appeal that was dismissed by the High Court, leaving the South African pavilion empty at the 2026 Venice Biennale. The case has been met with criticism and calls for a revision of cultural legislation in South Africa. Veteran arts administrator Ismail Mahomed warns that such censorship is "always on the wrong side of history," while artist Molemo Moiloa asserts that the incident highlights the lack of support structures for artists compared to other professionals.
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