To think this so called art exhibition in Margate is nothing short of a hate crime

Oreo, did you read my post? I repeat:
this exhibition is in a private gallery.
Thanet District Council will not have been either consulted, nor informed about it.
It may, indeed, be a police matter if it has been referred to them.

Not antisemitism but art! really Graphite of course it’s antisemitism, and unfortunately it is growing in the U.K. to the point of being acceptable to put on this show

(I refuse to call it art as it is far removed from the arts)

The man is a self confessed Hamas supporter, no further explanation needed…

Chocolatelovinggran

Oreo, did you read my post? I repeat:
this exhibition is in a private gallery.
Thanet District Council will not have been either consulted, nor informed about it.
It may, indeed, be a police matter if it has been referred to them.

Just looked it up.
It looks a bit of a dump.

District councils do have powers to close down highly offensive art exhibitions in conjunction with the police.

GrannyGravy13

Not antisemitism but art! really Graphite of course it’s antisemitism, and unfortunately it is growing in the U.K. to the point of being acceptable to put on this show

(I refuse to call it art as it is far removed from the arts)

That is the problem, when anti-Netanyahu and Israeli Government actions become confused with anti-Jewish rhetoric, actions and scribbles like these so-called drawings.

Anti-semitism creeps in and slowly becomes acceptable because people confuse the two.

Graphite do you also agree with MC's endorsement of the sentiment that Hamas have done nothing wrong? That the 7/10 rapes, murders and kidnappings weren't wrong?

By their words and actions antisemites reveal themselves even as they say they aren't. If Tommy Robinson declares himself to not be racist will you believe him too?

The Star of David is also on the flag of Israel in pictures with IDF soldiers, skulls, bombs and blood.

The war on Gaza has seen the slaughter of 80,000 people, 80% of whom were civilians, 70% of those women and children, 90% of the Gaza population displaced from their homes, over 2 million people facing high levels of acute food insecurity and catastrophic famine conditions.

We can all interpret art in different ways. I see those images as a criticism of the warmongering of Israel. You interpret it differently. I doubt we shall agree.

You can justify how you feel about it Graphite.

Coupled with Collings's views posted online, you can call it what you like but this is anti-semitism.

Attacks on ambulances?
Posters were somehow trying to justify those too.

It is scary.

Definitely antisemitism

Not forgetting 1,195 Israelis killed in October 7th attacks including 36 children.

I just question our ability to really question the show as a whole unless we have actually seen it or have online access to all the pictures.

I remain feeling strongly that any that are in themselves are clearly anti semitic should be removed but there is a whole history of political art that is not always comfortable and people have a right to make it.

*However I repeat and hope this is heard. Absolutely remove any pictures that are hate crime. That does not automatically mean the whole exhibition should be closed.

Kent police are not necessarily the fools some here would have them be.

Sentiment whipped up by the Telegraph in the basis of 1 to 3 images was what started this thread off, and they even got the venue wrong in the title.
We need more information not bandwagon jumping.

Sounds like he's the one having the hysterical rant, just as much as the media and others he criticises. Of course its antisemitism, couched in the very loose definition of a piece of Art. My foot!

Artworks inciting hatred of Jews are universal and have been around since medieval times. They are particularly present in Germany, France and the UK. The same sculpture I mentioned was 16th century. Its too convenient to say the painting is just a depiction of the current situation.

*Attacks on ambulances?
Posters were somehow trying to justify those too*

Please direct me to the posts which seek to justify attacking ambulances.

Thanks

You haven’t said what you think about this exhibition as yet Sixandahalf
At least Graphite is clear about excusing it as art.
There’s no excuse for it of course.

MartavTaurus

Sounds like he's the one having the hysterical rant, just as much as the media and others he criticises. Of course its antisemitism, couched in the very loose definition of a piece of Art. My foot!

Artworks inciting hatred of Jews are universal and have been around since medieval times. They are particularly present in Germany, France and the UK. The same sculpture I mentioned was 16th century. Its too convenient to say the painting is just a depiction of the current situation.

Yes, exactly and do you remember the Banksy style large mural a few years ago in London, that was cleaned off the wall.

Good points Oreo. Graphite is singing the praises of having been on the pro left anti right demonstration on Saturday. I didn’t think it was even possible to hold these views…. Such an eye opener.

ronib, my understanding, I repeat again, was that this exhibition was not brought to the attention of Thanet District Council, who were, therefore, unaware of the content.
Matters, now, it seems, are in the hands of the police and appropriate actions are under consideration.

Everyone is entitled to their views however skewed and wrong they are to most of us.
All we can do is continue to condemn antisemitism and hope that in some distant future that it will no longer exist.

It appears the exhibition finished yesterday. It also appears the price investigation concluded and found the threshold for a hate crime was not met- according to google:

"Kent Police conducted an investigation into an art exhibition titled "Drawings Against Genocide" by artist Matthew Collings, held at the Joseph Wales Studios (or Gallery) in Margate, Kent, following complaints that it featured antisemitic imagery.

Here are the key details of the investigation as of March 2026:
Nature of the Complaint: The exhibition was accused of displaying "grotesque" antisemitic tropes, including imagery of Jewish people or Israelis eating babies with blood-dripping teeth, demon-like figures, and references to "blood libel" and "Jewish lobbies". Some images specifically targeted individuals and denied Hamas atrocities on October 7.

Artist’s Response: Matthew Collings, 70, described his work as a critique of Zionism and Israel's actions in Gaza, claiming the art was "about raising consciousness about hell". He denied that the drawings specifically showed Jewish people or claimed they eat babies.

Police Findings: Kent Police confirmed that officers attended the exhibition to view the material, but ruled that the work did not meet the legal threshold for a criminal hate crime or a non-crime hate incident (NCHI). The force stated that because the content was "political in nature," "focused on a nation state," and part of "artistic expression," it was protected by free speech laws.

typo- price= police

In that case the legal threshold needs to be changed!

And I repeat, if the images had been anti Islamic then the police would have acted quickly.
In fact if they hadn’t there would have been a riot outside the gallery.
Because Jews rarely make a fuss it isn’t considered a problem by them.

There isn't a lot of difference between those of the far right and the far left who espouse this sort of hatred, only in that the element of the Far Left appear to perceive they alone occupy some higher moral ground, the Far Right will know they don't. There will no doubt have been some who marched on Saturday who wouldn't similarly turn out in solidarity for our Jewish community. The rationale appears to be they must bear the collective guilt of whatever Israel is inflicting on Gaza. It's clearly obvious from a cohort within, the far left of The Greens and Labour, whatever prejudice the Jewish community suffer they deserve that. Theirs is to put up with a three pronged onslaught from the Far left, the Far right and extreme Islamists.

So anyone is free to exhibit paintings etc of Hamas and their despicable crimes of October 7th 2023 as typifying Palestinian people as long as they call them artistic interpretations, political in nature and they would be protected by free speech laws?

At least that is clear, thank you.