South Africa will not participate in the 2026 Venice Biennale after Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie overturned the selection of artist Gabrielle Goliath, a decision upheld by the North Gauteng High Court. The move, initially sparked by concerns over potential foreign influence regarding the artwork’s focus on the conflict in Gaza, has drawn accusations of censorship and raised questions about the minister’s authority.
The dispute centers on Goliath’s proposed artwork, which McKenzie alleged could be used as a platform for a foreign power to endorse a geopolitical message concerning Israel and Gaza. According to a statement released by McKenzie on January 10, 2026, concerns arose when it was reported that a foreign country had offered to fund the South African exhibition. Although Art Periodic, the nonprofit organization tasked with organizing South Africa’s participation, clarified that the offer was to purchase the artwork after the Biennale concluded, McKenzie remained unconvinced.
“It was being alleged that South Africa’s platform was being used as a proxy by a foreign power to endorse a geopolitical message about the actions of Israel in Gaza,” McKenzie stated. He questioned why the foreign country could not “rent its own space and fund its own message to convey its feelings about Israel and Gaza.”
Art Periodic had been contracted by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) to manage the South African Pavilion, with the rental space already paid for. The agreement stipulated that Art Periodic would raise additional funding from the South African private sector. McKenzie insisted that the DSAC did not withdraw funding from Art Periodic, but rather sought to regain control over the exhibition’s content.
Goliath challenged McKenzie’s decision in court, arguing that the minister lacked the legal authority to veto her participation. During a February 11, 2026, hearing, Advocate Adila Hassim, representing Goliath, asserted that “at the heart of Here’s a minister exercising a power that he does not have,” and that no contractual right to veto existed within the agreements between McKenzie, his department, and Art Periodic. McKenzie’s legal counsel, Advocate Zinzile Matabese, countered that the cancellation was a matter of contractual law, not freedom of expression.
Despite the legal challenge, the High Court sided with McKenzie, effectively ending Goliath’s bid to represent South Africa at the Biennale. The ruling has been met with criticism from artists and cultural organizations, who view it as a restriction on artistic freedom.
The South African government, however, maintains that the decision was made to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and prevent foreign interference in its cultural platforms. McKenzie’s office has not yet announced plans for an alternative exhibition at the South African Pavilion, and the space will remain empty during the 2026 Biennale.
