The action was taken after the foundation told one of the women, assigned to lead a major year-long program, that it could not work with Jade Montserrat, an artist who has made allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct against her. art. merchant Anthony d’Offay. D’Offay, who denies all the allegations against him, was one of the most powerful figures in the world of contemporary British art and a major donor to the Tate, which cut ties with him in 2018 amid allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior by three women. . A claim alleging discrimination, victimization and harassment under the Equality Act was brought against the Tate this year by Amy Sharrocks, who was to be the lead artist during the 2020-21 season of the prestigious Tate Exchange programme. She worked with Montserrat and Madeleine Collie, co-curator. Although Tate has not admitted liability, it offered a settlement after the claim was filed at London’s central court in January. The institution also asked Sharrocks to withdraw a freedom of information request. Sharrocks told the Guardian how thrilled she was to be asked to do a major project across three Tate sites on the theme of love for Tate Modern’s 20th anniversary. She brought Montserrat months earlier to work with her on a water-themed project called A Rumor of Waves, but was shocked when a senior executive contacted her in July 2020 to say the artist could not be involved. Sharrocks said that in conversations with senior Tate officials, Tate director Maria Balshaw described Montserrat as “hostile” to the institution, citing social media posts in which the artist called for her resignation. Balshaw is said to have claimed that such was the vitriol generated by Montserrat’s social media posts that it would not be “safe” for her or others to be involved in a partnership at the Tate and that he would be sacked as a director by the board . “The Tate’s job is to support artists, not donors,” Sharrocks said. “Tate forgot that when they insisted on excluding Jade from a program she had helped develop. “I was told changing stories about why Jade couldn’t be allowed to take part in a live public program at the Tate – they said they would be sued, they would lose their jobs, that it was a legal problem, a safeguarding issue, the hands were tied up”. He added: “Publicly, the Tate claims to focus on transformation and learning, risk, trust etc, but in practice they have moved quickly towards silence, exclusion and erasure.” The Tate rejected a request by Sharrocks and her co-curators for mediation and canceled A Rumor of Waves. The wider Tate exchange programme, which ran at Tate Modern and Tate Liverpool for five years, was subsequently terminated in difficult circumstances. While the Tate has cited funding cuts, others see its closure as a step backwards, depriving it of a space that allows community groups to shape the Tate’s program and undoing the Tate’s commitment to social justice. Montserrat accused Tate of being self-serving and demeaning audiences and artists. “My mental and physical health suffered as a result of my experience of being around the Tate and its machinery,” he added. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST Collie said the closure of the Tate Exchange showed the Tate was unable to fuel complex conversations while prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of artists and contributors. “We sincerely hope that this settlement is a small step that paves the way for serious reflection on the part of management and the board and that it can lead to some significant changes in the processes of care and support for arts workers who employ and the wider communities who serve,” he said. Georgina Calvert-Lee, a barrister who acted for the three women, said: “If we are to live in an inclusive and diverse society, it is important that our national art galleries reflect these values by being open to all artists and curators, regardless of gender, race or any other protected characteristic”. “The case sought to establish the principle that galleries should not discriminate against artists and outside curators who present their shows, nor against members of the public who go to see them,” added Calvert-Lee, formerly of McAllister Company. Olivarios. A Tate spokesman said: “The Tate invited Amy Sharrocks to be the lead artist for a public engagement project planned for 2020. She suggested the involvement of a number of other people, asking them to also star, which was not in line with the terms of her contract. “It became clear to Ms Sharrocks that the arrangements she proposed were not feasible and after lengthy consultation the project was eventually cancelled. Although this was a carefully considered decision, Tate regrets the way the relationship ended. Along with agreeing to a settlement with those affected, we have apologized for the inconvenience caused.”
