Naomi Beckwith, the curator of the forthcoming edition of Documenta, said some artists had already declined to participate in the exhibition because of Germany’s stance on Israel’s war in Gaza.

Documenta, which is staged every five years in Kassel, Germany, is one of the most prestigious recurring art exhibitions in the world. But ever since the controversy that faced the last edition, in 2022, the show has faced bitter criticism, with many alleging that politicians’ accusations of antisemitism at the exhibition were born of an attempt to crack down on pro-Palestine art.