This year’s Whitney Biennial, considered the country’s most important showcase of contemporary art, has 75 participating artists — and one who has already withdrawn. The biennial, no stranger to controversy, is an indicator of currents in the field as well as a career booster for the artists included. Mr. Kanders is the chief executive of a company that manufactures equipment, including body armor and tear gas, for law enforcement agencies and militaries. The New York Times received a copy of Mr. Rakowitz’s letter to the curators, dated Dec. 18, withdrawing from the show. Only five have ever exhibited in a Whitney Biennial before.

Source: New York Times February 25, 2019 20:57 UTC