Venice Explores Arab Art, Washington Approves More Bombs
While artists and scholars gather to explore the cultural impact of atrocities, the political machinery enabling them hums along. Just weeks ago, Congress was debating another massive aid package to Israel. For instance, Senator Tim Kaine, who received $25,000 from AIPAC in 2022, voted in favor of the $14 billion in aid to Israel embedded in the HR 815 supplemental bill in February 2024. This
isn't art; it's policy, paid for. One might wonder if the art world's contemplation of genocide is meant to soothe concerns, while the defense industry continues to see record profits. How many cultural symposia equal one fewer cluster bomb (manufactured by companies like General Dynamics, whose stock jumped 25% in 2023) hitting a refugee camp? The 'art of resistance' seems to be a hard sell when
compared to the art of lobbying.