Candida Gertler, co-founder of the Outset Contemporary Art Fund, has stepped down from the organization’s board of trustees and all voluntary roles within UK arts institutions, according to a report by The Art Newspaper.
Her resignation follows an open letter signed by over 1,100 artists and art workersa and addressed to Tate leadership ahead of the Turner Prize ceremony on December 3, calling for the museum to divest from the Zabludowicz Art Trust, Zabludowicz Art Projects, and Outset Contemporary Art Fund. The three organizations are run separately by arts philanthropists Anita and Poju Zabludowicz and Gertler.
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As ARTnews‘ Angelica Villa reported earlier this week, the letter accuses the groups’ founders of being connected to Israel’s “genocidal” policies in Gaza, citing findings from the International Court of Justice and the United Nations that describe Israel’s military actions as being consistent with genocide and apartheid. Amnesty International has also labeled Israel’s policies as crimes of apartheid. The letter points to the roles of the Zabludowicz Art Trust and Outset Contemporary Art Fund in providing what activists term “artwashing,” or the use of partnerships with museums and artists to obscure ethically dubious political connections.
The letter was signed by prominent figures such as Turner Prize nominee Jasleen Kaur and past winners Helen Cammock, Lawrence Abu Hamdan, and Charlotte Prodger.
While both the Zabludowiczs and Outset declined to comment on the letter, Poju and Anita Zabludowicz directed attention to a 2023 statement in which they stressed their support for a two-state solution, and saying that they were “deeply saddened and troubled by the horrific war that is unfolding in Israel and Gaza.”
Earlier this year, pro-Palestine student activists from Goldsmiths University occupied the Goldsmiths Centre for Contemporary Art in protest against its ties with Gertler and her husband, Zak. The campaigners alleged that the couple had close connections to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and had provided financial support for his political campaigns. Following the occupation, the Gertlers’ names were removed from the gallery and its donor board.
In her resignation statement, Gertler described the decision as a “principled protest” against antisemitism and what she termed the “normalisation of hate” within art spaces. She invoked the persecution of Jewish people during Nazi Germany, framing her resignation as a tribute to that legacy and a critique of art institutions for failing to combat prejudice. She expressed concern over the potential betrayal of marginalized communities and the artistic community by institutions failing to uphold inclusivity and integrity.
According to The Art Newspaper, Outset UK’s trustees, in a statement related to Gertler’s resignation, commended her “visionary approach” to arts philanthropy and were saddened by her departure. The board also affirmed Outset’s mission to support contemporary art and foster dialogue among artists, funders, and institutions.
Neither Outset nor the Zabludowiczs immediately returned a request for comment.