A letter signed by environmental activist Greta Thunberg and artists Tracey Emin and Peter Doig is circulating in support of Misan Harriman, chair of London's Southbank Centre. The letter defends Harriman against what it calls a "dishonest smear campaign" by the Telegraph and other right-wing outlets, which accused him of promoting conspiracies and comparing Reform Party voters to Nazis. The controversy stems from Harriman's social media comments about a knife attack on Jewish men and a video referencing Susan Sontag and Kurt Vonnegut on the Holocaust, which critics say minimized antisemitism or drew inappropriate parallels. Harriman denies making such analogies, and 70,000 people have complained to media watchdog Ipso, while 15,000 signed the letter.
This matters because it highlights tensions between free speech, institutional leadership, and political activism in the arts. As chair of a major cultural organization that runs the Hayward Gallery, Harriman's public statements have sparked debate about whether heads of arts charities should engage in partisan commentary. The strong support from prominent artists and activists underscores the art world's alignment with Harriman, while the backlash reflects broader cultural divisions in the UK over media bias, antisemitism, and the role of public figures in political discourse.