Jonathan Guggenberger
- Victim art: anti-Semitism in art and culture
- In dialogue, Literature
“With Opferkunst, an author with a background in art enters the literary stage – and fills it with confident wit and a shocking willingness to analyze current art industry discourses.” (Katharina Teutsch, FAZ)
Venice, April 2024, International Art Biennale. The Irish performance artist Aaron Geldof goes up in flames on a cross – for the freedom of Palestine; a sacrificial death. What sounds like a tragic art scandal that could have happened in one way or another is the fictional event with which Berlin-based author and journalist Jonathan Guggenberger begins the story of his debut novel, Sacrificial Art. From here, he sends his protagonist, the cultural journalist and friend of the dead artist, Enzo Bamberger, on a bewildering journey through the abysses of the art world. Enzo wants to understand why Aaron had to die. In his search for answers, he involuntarily uncovers his own hatred of Jews and that of an entire scene.
Reason enough to talk to the author about his novel and the anti-Semitism that has overshadowed art not only since October 7, 2023.
Jonathan Guggenberger studied fine arts, film and political science in Berlin. He researched aesthetic strategies of political mobilization in social media at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, among others. He writes about contemporary art, digital media and cultural policy for FAS, taz and Der Freitag.
The event is part of the Amadeu Antonio Foundation’s Education and Action Weeks.
A cooperation of DAI, Junges Forum DIG Heidelberg/Mannheim, Bund jüdischer Studierender Baden e.V., student representatives of the Heidelberg University of Jewish Studies.
