University of Houston: Art Exhibit Opening Ceremony Canceled

With artist Shahzia Sikander’s exhibit “Havah ... to breathe, air, life” scheduled to open on campus February 28, 2024, at the University of Houston, the university canceled the exhibit’s opening ceremony and the installation of an accompanying film screening, citing Sikander’s alleged unavailability. Yet media outlets reported that leaders of local pro-life groups—who had criticized the exhibit for using allegedly Satanic imagery, and planned to protest its opening ceremony—said the university promised them the exhibit would not open as scheduled. To that, Sikander added that she neither asked for the ceremony’s cancellation, nor did the university consult her. FIRE thus wrote the university on March 8 urging it to reschedule the opening ceremony and screening as soon as possible, and that it avoid speech-restricting decisions based on potential public backlash. FIRE also joined a letter led by the National Coalition Against Censorship. The university responded on March 12, and while it disputed some of the reporting and doubled down on its claim of Sikander’s unavailability, it pledged the exhibition would be fully installed along with the screening.