The highly contentious discourse surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict seems to have seeped into every corner of the globe. Last week, it even reached the so-called preeminent week-long desert event for "radical self-expression" in Nevada: Burning Man.
The Burning Man Pro-Palestine Sculpture Controversy
The controversy stems from its approval of a tent-sized sculpture depicting a sliced watermelon, dubbed "From the River to the Sea," which is a reference to the often-chanted phrase in pro-Palestine movements.
The 8 by 14 feet fruit piece consists of the same colors as those on the Palestinian flag: red on its pulp, green-and-white on the rind, and black coating the seeds. These same hues are now considered a symbol of solidarity for the country and the cause fought in its name.
The piece was only one among a dozen art installations that are expected to be strewn about near the festival's main camp during the event proper.
However, following the ciruclation a petition initiated for the removal of the art piece, the sculpture is now nowhere to be found on Burning Man's website. It is still unclear whether or not the watermelon piece will be displayed at the festival, which will run from Aug. 25 to Sept. 2.
A response from Burning Man has since come out, with spokesperson Dominique Debucquoy-Dodley writing to The Times that the sculpture was submitted anonymously and is therefore in violation of the event's art placement submission terms and conditions.
"Additionally, the listing's content contained language understood by some to be hate speech," shared Debucquoy-Dodley. "We do not tolerate the use of violent, hateful, or incendiary language on our platforms."
That said, the spokesperson added that the individuals who submitted the piece could appeal if they wanted to. The artist was only identifiable by what is believed to be a pseudonym, "Decolonize Now."
"Based on the circumstances around the way the listing was submitted, we believe that this is likely not an actual art piece coming to Black Rock City, but that the listing was instead intended to stir an emotional response within the Burning Man community," Debucquoy-Dodley continued.
