Israeli-Canadian photographer Dina Goldstein removed from group exhibition
Internationally acclaimed visual artist says she is being pulled from an exhibition due to concerns raised about her support for Israel, but CICA gallery says she was one of three taken out for curatorial and financial reasons
Dina Goldstein with two images from her “In the Dollhouse” series.
PROMINENT ISRAELI-CANADIAN Vancouver photographer Dina Goldstein, who gained international attention with her “Fallen Princesses” and “In the Dollhouse” series of tableaus, says she was shocked when her work was withdrawn from a group exhibition at the Vancouver Centre of International Contemporary Art (CICA) just days before its opening.
Goldstein was invited by CICA to present selections from “In the Dollhouse” as part of its Toy Story exhibition, opening May 8. Until recently, her name was included on the CICA website as part of the show, and her name and artwork appear prominently in an exhibition and marketing proposal prepared by CICA.
The gallery says the decision to pull Goldstein’s work was due to budgetary and curatorial reasons, and that artists Roby Dwi Antono and Aya Takano were also cut from the show.
In a phone call with Stir, Goldstein said she was told that the gallery had received complaints about her inclusion in the show. She said that on April 30, she was informed that she was being removed from the exhibit.
“She [curator Viahsta Yuan] said the committee got a complaint from a group of Vancouver artists who didn’t think I should be showing because of the war in Israel and Gaza,” Goldstein said. “She told me they were fearful of being vandalized.”
The gallery says the decision to pull Goldstein’s work was due to budgetary and curatorial reasons.
Goldstein said that Yuan had previously visited her studio and agreed to show three works from the 10-image series that were framed and available for display, and had discussed the costs to print and frame another two.
“We selected five pieces from her series….because we don’t have that much wall space to show the entire series,” said Yuan, reached by phone. “On Friday, when we visited her studio, there were only three pieces that were ready….I had a conversation with the committee and we decided that, first of all, we don’t have the budget [for the production costs]. We’re very constrained on budget. And then secondly, we’re having another piece by Yinka Shonibare about a dollhouse. Both me and the committee thought that it might be a little redundant to show two dollhouses in one exhibition. And for me, I don’t want to show only three pieces of her [Goldstein’s] work without being able to tell the story that the entire series is telling.”
Asked whether any complaints had been received about Goldstein’s participation in the exhibition, Yuan said no. In both a phone call and written statement about the situation, Goldstein said that, following the studio visit, Yuan informed her by text message on April 28 that there had been complaints and concerns about her inclusion.
“‘In the Dollhouse’ is a photographic staged series released in 2012 within the life-sized pink dollhouse belonging to Barbie and Ken,” Goldstein wrote in an email to Stir on May 1. “This work has nothing to do with what is currently happening in Israel and Gaza. I am truly disappointed with CICA, an organization I have supported since their opening in Gastown. I am currently creating new work and would rather focus on that, but find myself unable to ignore this blatant act of antisemitism.” 
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