Ahead of the opening of the 60th edition of the Venice Biennale of contemporary art later this month, exhibition organizers and staff woke up today to discover that the national pavilions of Hungary, Finland, Brazil, Uruguay, Australia, Serbia, Egypt, and Poland had been leveled by the Israeli air force after buzz over a new local hummus place was misinterpreted by visiting members of the Israeli embassy as plans for an attack by “Hamas” at the international art gathering.
While no one is reported to have been hurt, a group of 14 artists and curators were seen loudly crying in the Giardini, where the event takes place, after they discovered their major projects were completely destroyed.
An Israeli spokesperson said the action, which they call Operation Pita, was justified because “Hamas uses artists as human shields.” When asked to provide evidence, the spokesperson displayed placards with memes, including ones that read, “It’s Hummus O’clock.”
As organizers of the Venice Biennale debate how to move forward, they are asking whether the approval of a hummus restaurant too close to the Giardini wasn’t the real problem. Soon after news of the destruction was released, the German media reported that the German government issued a directive that any German citizen who “likes” any social media post that is critical of the Israeli government’s decision to bomb the pavilions will lose their healthcare, while international “likers” will be banned from entering Germany for two years.
Observers of the incident are still trying to piece together what exactly happened, but most agree that the social media buzz over a new restaurant, called Legume d’Amore, started the misunderstanding. The restaurant was a trending topic on TikTok and Instagram with some users filming themselves ululating in the bathtubs of hummus that greet guests.
Analysts say the damage caused by the destruction will cost $225 million to repair. The United States has already announced it will pay for the rebuilding of the pavilions and congratulated the Israeli authorities for being able to put together an impressive exhibition while dealing with the threat posed by the local hummus stand, which the US government later sanctioned for its allegorical ties to terrorism as outlined in a haiku provided to them by the Israeli military.
The owner, Mo Liberpalestinakis, was in shock after he heard the news, explaining that he doesn’t know how he will feed his family after he invested his savings in the small local restaurant.
“I honestly don’t understand how anyone thinks this makes any sense whatsoever 😭😡,” he told Hyperallergic over email.
