Festival responds as sponsors and supporters targeted over opening night DJ controversy

The Biennale of Sydney has moved to allay community concerns over alleged inflammatory comments made by a US electronic music producer at its opening night party which linked elements of the Jewish community to Jeffrey Epstein.

The nation’s largest festival announced it had taken steps to tighten up its procedures following an internal review after DJ Haram’s performance, including “enhanced conditions of entry” for those attending the remaining public performances and programs which may include disclaimers, strengthened briefings with performers before stepping on stage, and new “active stage management protocols”.

“We have asked all participants to consider the impact of their words and actions in the context in which they are presented,” the Biennale said in a statement issued on its website on Friday morning. “Even in difficult or contested conversations, it is possible to foster understanding, connection and a shared sense of community.”

The comments come after the US performer Zubeyda Muzeyyen, better known as DJ Haram, is alleged to have claimed the existence of a “vile Zio-Australian-Epstein empire”, among remarks about Palestinian “martyrs”, during her set at the Lights On party for the Biennale’s 25th edition.

The matter was investigated by NSW Police at the behest of the Jewish Board of Deputies, which also wrote to all festival donors and partners questioning their association with a festival that platforms “speech that targets a minority community, glorifies violence and risks undermining social cohesion at an already fragile moment”.

On March 26, police said they had reviewed all available evidence provided and sought legal advice. “This advice indicated there was insufficient evidence to commence proceedings around the report of offensive behaviour.”

The Biennale conceded that DJ Haram had made “strongly worded proclamations and a soundscape which some people found “confronting and distressing”. The performance had “deviated significantly” from the agreed brief and was contrary to the artistic agreement in place, it said.

It stressed it had no prior knowledge of the comments and condemned any language that “incites division or harm”.

“It is deeply regrettable that a single moment has overshadowed the work of 83 artists and collectives, and the wider program of participating artists.”

Established in 1973, the Biennale of Sydney is the third-oldest biennale in the world after Venice and São Paulo, and the largest exhibition of its kind in Australia.

The controversy is damaging to the reputation and potentially the financial viability of the premiere showcase, which will engage 83 artists from 37 countries across five major venues in a series of public exhibitions and performances over the next three months.

Consulting firm PwC has since withdrawn its support, which includes limited financial backing and a client event. Law firm MinterEllison is remaining as a pro bono legal adviser to the Biennale, a role it has maintained for more than 20 years.

But it has requested its logo be removed from the Biennale’s website. “We did not want our branding to suggest any association with or endorsement of those views,” a spokesperson said.

In his letter to sponsors the Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said his organisation had significant concerns about other upcoming programming decisions of the Biennale.

He asked donors and partners whether their continued support for the Biennale of Sydney was consistent with their organisation’s values and their association with this incident is “likely to strengthen or erode community trust”.

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