Events have moved quickly since Thursday night when Creative Australia sensationally dumped the Sydney-based multimedia artist Khaled Sabsabi as the nation’s representative for the 2026 edition of the Venice Biennale.
The move came less than a week after Creative Australia announced its selection of Sababi, along with his long-time collaborator Michael Dagostino, the chief executive officer of Sydney University’s Chau Chak Wing Museum, who was due to curate Sabsabi’s Venice presentation. Dagostino has also been dropped.
After the Creative Australia board unanimously voted to drop the artist/curator duo, Sabsabi and Dagostino released a joint statement in which they said they were “extremely hurt and disappointed”, but were still committed to presenting the planned work on a global platform “and will seek community support to make this happen”.
The statement read: “We intended to present a transformational work in Venice, an experience that would unite all audiences in an open and safe shared space. This reflects and builds on the work we have done for decades and will do for many more. Art should not be censored as artists reflect the times they live in.
“We believe in the vision of artists for an inclusive future that can bring us together to communicate and progress our shared humanity. We also believe that, despite this decision, the Australian art world will not dim and/or be silent.”
Creative Australia’s about-face has become a cause célèbre in Australian art circles. The Guardian Australia reported today that Mikala Tai, the head of Creative Australia’s visual arts department, had tendered her resignation to the chief executive Adrian Collette “in support of the artist” and of Dagostino.
Additionally, the leading Australian arts philanthropist Simon Mordant resigned as an ambassador to Australia’s participation in the Biennale, and withdrew his financial pledge towards it, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The prominent Australian artist Lindy Lee has also reportedly resigned from her Creative Australia board post. “A source within Creative Australia not authorised to officially comment confirmed Friday night the organisation had received a letter from Lee expressing her intention to resign,” The Sydney Morning Herald reported. “At the same time it reiterated her support for the original board’s decision.”
Artists bombarded Creative Australia’s Facebook page, accusing the organisation of cowardice and of making a racist decision.
