What’s Going On? Editors at Artforum Magazine are speaking up after their former editor, David Velasco, was let go. This all started because the magazine published a letter about Gaza and Palestinian freedom.
The Letter and the Problem
Artforum put out a letter on October 19, asking for peace in Gaza and freedom for Palestinians. Lots of artists, including Velasco and others who work for Artforum, signed it. But some people got upset because the letter didn’t talk about an attack by Hamas on October 7.
Artforum later added a note to say the letter showed the thoughts of the individuals who signed it and wasn’t start by Artforum itself.
What the Magazine Said
Artforum’s leaders, Danielle McConnell and Kate Koza, said putting out the letter didn’t fit with their normal process, and it got shared without them knowing about it.
Velasco said there weren’t strict rules for this kind of thing.
People Leaving and a Boycott
After Velasco let go, four people who worked at Artforum said they were quitting. Two former senior editors, Zack Hatfield and Chloe Wyma, weren’t happy and talked about it on social media. Then, others started a boycott. They said they wouldn’t work with Artforum, ARTnews, and Art in America. These are all connected to Penske Media Corporation.
What Artforum Staff Wants
On Wednesday, more than 30 editors and workers at Artforum wrote a statement. They want everyone to talk openly and have freedom in what they write. They understand they need to build trust again after what happened, and they didn’t expect Velasco to be fired.
The magazine’s staff is saying they want to protect freedom in discussing politics and have open debates. They don’t want to stop conversations about the letter and Gaza.
The Current Situation
All of this happened while there’s still a serious situation going on in Gaza. A lot of people have lost their lives, and there’s a big problem in the area.
The main company, Penske Media Corporation, isn’t giving more details about what’s happening.
To Sum It Up
Artforum Magazine’s editor lost his job, and that caused a lot of trouble. Now, the magazine’s team is saying they want to make sure everyone can talk openly and freely. All of this happened during a big problem in Gaza.
