Artist’s ‘inflammatory’ exhibition featuring Israelis and British Jews cancelled

An artist whose recent exhibition included work described by visitors as showing Jews “depicted as blood-soaked, baby eating demons” and singled out key British Jews for condemnation has had a forthcoming exhibition in London cancelled, after the gallery’s proprietors were warned about potential legal and reputation risks to their establishment.

The Delta House Gallery in Wandsworth was due to host artworks by Matthew Collings, the Evening Standard’s former art critic, between 16 and 24 May. However, after the UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) organisation wrote to the gallery owners, outlining a range of concerns, the gallery has withdrawn itself as a venue for Colling’s work. UKLFI pointed out that the work including depictions that demonised Jews and Israelis, promoted conspiracy theories about Jewish control, and drew comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany. The organisation pointed out that the material could potentially engage provisions under the Public Order Act 1986 and expose both the artist and the gallery to legal risks – and that the gallery and its owners would also incur reputational risks.

Last month Collings held an exhibition at a gallery in Margate, titled “Drawings Against Genocide”. He described it as “a window into the Zionist lobbies connection to our government, mainstream media and the art world.”

National papers saw it differently. A Telegraph review of the exhibition was headlined: “Lovely time in Margate? No, it was dripping with Jew-hate” and said: “It should be preserved in the annals of antisemitic propaganda alongside that of Der Stürmer.”  A Times article was headlined: “Jews are openly blood-libelled yet there’s no hate crime?” and the reviewer said:  “After visiting a grotesque exhibition at a gallery in Margate, I cannot imagine what it must be like to be Jewish in this country now”.

As well as depictions of IDF soldiers grinning while standing over skulls and blood, Collings’ pictures include one of a naked Benjamin Netanyahu, with the words “Israel” and “Greater Israel” written on him, spewing blood from his mouth and the words “change reality” and “hypnotism” in front of him while he chants “invade Iran, invade Iran.” The caption alongside the drawing reads: “It’s the project, not the guy – it really doesn’t matter if he’s alive or dead” – which appears to be referring to Zionism as a whole.

The exhibition also identifies key British Jews as the target of the artist’s ire. “Simon Schama, genial BBC historian, condemns the protests against the genocide as a ‘weekly kristallnacht’ reads one, alongside a representation of Schama himself. Schama described Collings’ exhibition as “appalling”. Another shows Mark Gardner, Chief Executive of CST, describing how in the artist’s opinion he “is always being invited onto the BBC to lie about the motives of the many Jews who condemn Israel’s genocide in Gaza.”

Yet another painting shows the owner of Sotheby’s, French-Israeli Patrick Drahi. It describes him as a “fanatic Zionist”, devouring a child with blood running from his pointed teeth. The caption says: “Hey look I’m selling a fantastic painting while eating a baby alive.” As reported by The Telegraph, Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, was featured in another picture alongside bank notes and an Israeli flag, with speech bubbles coming out of her mouth saying “I am a Zionist” and “I am paid by Israel”.

Statements included by the artist alongside various childlike pictures include: “violence and sadistic depravity is the meaning of Zionism, not ‘homeland’, and “There is no ‘rise in global antisemitism’ since the Hamas raid on October 7th. There is a global protest against Israel’s mass murder of Gazans, and the lying, and the complicity of world leaders, and the mainstream press.”

In an e-mail response from the Wandsworth gallery last week, Tom Berglund, chairman of Pineapple Corporation, which owns the venue, confirmed that the exhibition had been cancelled and wrote: “We were unaware of this intention for an exhibition as it was arranged without any consultation with the owners of the artist studios at Riverside Road.” He added: “We all hope the issues on the ground in the Middle East can eventually be resolved.”

A spokesperson for UK Lawyers for Israel said: “We welcome the decision to cancel this exhibition. Freedom of expression is a fundamental right, but it does not extend to the promotion of material that relies on antisemitic tropes, dehumanising imagery, and conspiracy narratives about Jews.

“There is a real danger in normalising antisemitic imagery and narratives in cultural spaces. When material that demonises Jews or recycles classic antisemitic tropes is presented as legitimate artistic expression, it risks lowering the threshold for what is considered acceptable in public discourse.

“At a time when Jewish communities in London and across the UK are already facing a significant rise in antisemitic incidents and attacks, it is particularly important that institutions act responsibly. The wider environment in which hatred is trivialised or excused can contribute to a climate in which such attacks become more likely.”

In a lengthy response on social media, Collings said: “NO ONE HAS TO DO WHAT UK LAWYERS FOR ISRAEL SAYS. STAND UP TO THESE BULLIES’ DISTORTIONS AND TALES.” He took issue with a number of “assertions” by UKLFI, and said “the show criticises the state of Israel because it commits genocide. No drawings in the show criticise an ethnic group. It is arbitrary to claim the opposite. Israel does not represent all Jews — if Jews are to be characterised as an ‘ethnic group.’ Concepts are represented in the drawings by monsters. No Jews are represented by monsters. No Jewish person is criticised in the show for being Jewish.

“Again, Jews everywhere in the world today loudly demonstrate their horror at Israel’s actions. While Israel continues to commit a very real genocide in Gaza, now extended to Lebanon and Iran, it is morally gross to talk about ‘tropes’ as if they’re somehow equivalent to that horror.”