Monash University in Melbourne has made the decision to indefinitely postpone an upcoming exhibition that was set to feature the work of Lebanese-born artist Khaled Sabsabi. This news comes just one month after Australia revoked his appointment to represent the country at the 2026 Venice Biennale.
The controversy began in early February when Creative Australia initially selected Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino to showcase Australia’s pavilion at the prestigious international event. However, less than a week later, following scrutiny of some of Sabsabi’s previous works dating back over 15 years, Creative Australia rescinded their appointment.
The decision to drop Sabsabi sparked backlash from members of the Australian arts community, including past Venice Biennale winners and other artistic teams shortlisted for the 2026 pavilion. This led to a series of resignations within Creative Australia.
The canceled exhibition, titled “Stolon Press: Flat Earth,” was a collaborative project that had been in the works for 18 months. It was supposed to feature works by Sabsabi, Stolon Press, and writer Elisa Taber. The exhibition was scheduled to open at the Monash University Museum of Art on May 8 and run through July 5.
Sabsabi’s contributions to the show included large calligraphic paintings inspired by Sufism and silhouette works based on numerology and repetition. These pieces were to be displayed alongside microfilms and text from Taber’s research, as well as a longform essay by Stolon Press.
Despite the postponement of the exhibition, Stolon Press founders Tom Melick and Simryn Gill have expressed their commitment to the project and hope to see it proceed as planned.
Monash University has not provided further comment on the scheduling change, and both Sabsabi and the university have yet to respond to inquiries. Sabsabi’s gallerist, Josh Milani, has criticized Creative Australia for their handling of the situation, stating that their actions have had a detrimental impact on the artist’s career and livelihood.
Milani has emphasized that Sabsabi condemns terrorism and violence in all its forms, including racism and anti-Semitism. He has called on Creative Australia to reverse their decision and reinstate Sabsabi to the Venice Biennale appointment to protect his career.
In response to the controversy, Creative Australia has appointed advisory firm Blackhall and Pearl to review the governance and decision-making processes for selecting the country’s Venice Biennale representation. The review aims to ensure that robust policies and systems are in place for future selection processes.
The fate of Sabsabi’s career and the future of the exhibition remain uncertain as the Australian arts community continues to grapple with the implications of Creative Australia’s actions.
