Gabrielle Goliath's legal challenge over the cancellation of Elegy at the Venice Biennale revives an old story: the uneasy, enduring struggle between artists and the powers that seek to contain them.

On Thursday 15 January 2026, South African artist Gabrielle Goliath filed an urgent application against Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie for unlawfully cancelling her 2026 Venice Biennale submission Elegy.

The context for this piece comes in the wake of two body blow cancellations, one after the other, for Goliath.

Often performative, Goliath's work looks at gender-based violence and trauma. The piece Elegy is less about violence and more "about foregrounding practices of mourning, survival and repair".

The first cancellation came from her long-time gallery, Goodman. The second from McKenzie. The actions of both have spawned enough speculation to fill a large murky pond.

Given the current global profile, one cannot help but be aware of the timing of both rejections. It is interesting that the Goodman Gallery "released" Goliath along with 12 other artists just after her selection to represent SA at the 61st Venice Biennale. You would have thought that they would have been pleased with her achievement and the kudos afforded their gallery.

The gallery gave the official reason for the dismissal as a financial one, rather than a political one.

Goliath's latest iteration of Elegy, a work begun a decade ago,...