Sandra Hegedüs, a long-standing supporter of the Palais de Tokyo, announced via Instagram that she would cease providing financial backing to Paris’s premier contemporary art museum after its exhibition exploring Palestine’s history.
In her Instagram post on Sunday, Hegedüs revealed her decision to resign from the Amis du Palais de Tokyo, a group of benefactors where she previously held the position of vice president. She elaborated in a message to the museum’s leadership that her values no longer aligned with those of the Palais de Tokyo.
Her departure from the Amis du Palais de Tokyo and her critique of the museum’s perceived shift towards a “very political orientation” raises questions about the role of contemporary art institutions in addressing social and political issues.
Hegedüs’s statement underscores the tension between artistic freedom and the expectations of patrons and donors. While museums often serve as platforms for challenging and thought-provoking exhibitions, they also rely on financial support from individuals like Hegedüs to sustain their operations. The withdrawal of her support signals the potential consequences for institutions that take a stance on contentious topics. Hegedüs said:
While Hegedüs did not explicitly identify the exhibition by name, her comments appeared to allude to “Past Disquiet,” a current exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo exploring the concept of “museums in exile.” This exhibition examines touring shows created by artists from the Global South and their role in supporting various liberation movements, including the Palestinian struggle for independence, the fight against the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile, and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa.
