MinterEllison pulls logo from Biennale

Law firm MinterEllison requested its branding be removed from the ­Biennale of Sydney website, following the fallout from the opening night on March 13 when US performer DJ Haram called out “the Zio-Australian-Epstein empire” and chanted “Until Palestine is free, none of us is free”, “Long live the resistance” and “Glory to all our martyrs”.

The comments are being investigated by NSW Police for hate speech under the NSW Crimes Act at the request of the Jewish Board of Deputies. DJ Haram, whose real name is Zubeyda Muzeyyen, has since left Australia.

A MinterEllison spokesperson said, “We did not want our branding to suggest any association with, or endorsement of those views. We firmly and unconditionally condemn antisemitism in all its forms.”  MinterEllison said it would still provide pro bono legal advice to the Biennale.

It followed PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) terminating its association with the Biennale last week.  A PwC spokesperson stated, “Following comments made by a performer at the opening night event, we no longer have confidence that the festival can meet our expectations. We condemn the comments made and reject antisemitism and all forms of hate.”

In response to the controversy, the Biennale of Sydney released a statement, “During the set, DJ Haram made strongly worded proclamations and a soundscape which some people found confronting and distressing. This performance deviated significantly from the agreed brief, without prior notice, and was contrary to the artist agreement in place. The Biennale is firmly committed to the principle of artistic expression, and when artists are engaged by the Biennale and speaking from our public platforms, this must be done in a way that brings people together in an inclusive and welcoming manner.”

“The Biennale did not commission, approve, or have prior knowledge of the remarks made by the artist during her performance. These statements were contrary to the artist agreement in place, and should not have occurred on a Biennale platform,” adding, “We maintain a zero-tolerance approach to racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, hate speech and any form of incitement,” it stated.

The Biennale Sydney has faced numerous concerns: Biennale ambassador Bhenji Ra had reportedly made a social media post describing the Bondi Beach terror attack as targeting “a Zionist Jewish-supremacist organisation”; and in February, publisher Morry Schwartz expressed concern to the board over Palestinian-Australian artist Feras Shaheen’s social media posts likening himself and philanthropist John Gandel to Nazis.

The Monash Initiative for Rapid Research into Antisemitism (MIRRA), has found many Jewish artists and philanthropists have experienced “ambient antisemitism” in the Australian arts industry post 7 October 2023, and has proposed recommendations for countering it.

Commenting on the Biennale controversy, MIRRA Senior Policy Advisor Noé Harsel told The AJN, “Arts organisations play a vital role in fostering dialogue and creative exchange, but that role comes with responsibility. Supporting artistic freedom doesn’t mean remaining silent when rhetoric crosses into harm – and antisemitic language has no place in any professional or cultural setting, regardless of context.”

“What this moment highlights is a genuine need for stronger capability across the sector. Boards, leadership and curators benefit from having clear frameworks and shared language to navigate these situations – not to shut down difficult conversations, but to ensure those conversations don’t cause harm. This shouldn’t be seen as a constraint on the arts, but as good governance,” she said.

“ACJC’s Monash Initiative for Rapid Research into Antisemitism (MIRRA) is working to build this capability. This includes researching antisemitism in the arts sector, developing recommendations specifically for this sector, and consulting extensively across relevant government, industry and community organisations to support implementation and make adaptations as needed.”

To read the MIRRA report visit https://www.monash.edu/arts/acjc/monash-initiative-for-rapid-research-into-antisemitism-mirra