To the art community,
As an international community engaged in contemporary art—museum professionals, artists, educators, curators, writers—L’Internationale urges everyone to immediately oppose the Russian army’s invasion of Ukraine. This act of cruel aggression should be resisted with all the means at our disposal. We strongly believe that the war in Ukraine is a fight for freedom, for the future of democracy, the global legal order, and respect for human rights, including the right to self-determination. We caution everyone against ignoring this threat—for our friends in Ukraine, this war rightfully brings back tragic memories of the Second World War and the Nazi invasion.
The gravity of this situation requires appropriate measures to be taken. Apart from the full package of sanctions that were and will be imposed by the EU, we call for the artistic community to immediately cease any collaborations with institutions and individuals who have direct ties with Putin’s regime and refuse to renounce their affiliation with it. This includes international projects, exhibitions, donations, and art sales. Russian participation in cultural gatherings such as biennales should be suspended and all the events organized by regime-related art foundations, institutions, galleries, and individuals boycotted. At the same time, we call for the international artistic community to support our comrades in both Ukraine and Russia who fight and protest against this act of aggression—by providing funds, resources, safe spaces, and visibility to their struggle.
We ask you to sign this petition to show your agreement with this letter and solidarity with Ukraine’s struggle for freedom. Please let us know in the comments if you or your organizations are willing to support displaced Ukrainian artists or art workers, and in what ways you could do so.
With full conviction, we shout: never again war, never again imperialism!
L’Internationale Confederation
Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven
MSN, Warsaw
MACBA, Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona
M HKA, Antwerp
Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid
Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
HDK-Valand Academy of Arts and Design, Gothenburg
National College of Art and Design, Dublin
