Indy airport cuts professor’s photo

IU photography professor Jeff A. Wolin had 16 portraits with captions about immigrants displayed at the new Indianapolis International Airport in mid-November.

He never imagined that any of them would be taken down.

But Wolin’s narrative portrait, taken of Israeli military veteran Shai Safarti, created so much controversy that airport officials removed it after only one month on display.

The situation underscores questions about the point of public art, Wolin said, and demonstrates a need for greater dialogue about the subject.

In 2006, Wolin, a photographer with more than 30 years of experience, interviewed Safarti, who emigrated from Israel to Indianapolis. His comments were the controversy’s root and violated the airport’s policy against partisan or political statements in artwork, said Airport Authority Executive Director John J. Kish.

“We hold weapons and protect Israel, and while doing that we sometimes do terrible things, terrible things,” Safarti said. “Two days ago artillery shells fell in Gaza and killed 19 innocent people while they were asleep. It cannot get any more terrible than that.”

Kish said the airport personnel needs to be sensitive in its decisions to avoid issues that could offend the community.

Wolin said he understands how somebody could have found the statement offensive, but he was frustrated with the way the airport dealt with the situation.   

The airport did not contact Wolin about taking down the work and declined to tell him who filed the complaint, Wolin said.

Wolin said he e-mailed airport authorities requesting a meeting to discuss the possibility of changing the text so his photo could remain on display.

Instead, he said airport authorities replaced the portrait with another that had not originally been chosen for display.

“If they wanted to squelch controversy, they did the exact opposite,” Wolin said.  
If he could choose, Wolin said he would have a forum about public art, tolerance and what is permissible.

He said he would put the piece back up and find out who complained about Safarti’s portrait, but more importantly, he wants people to understand the importance of the project.

“It’s about feelings and perceptions of foreign-born individuals,” he said. “That’s art. If people can’t tolerate that, that’s not good.”