Australia’s decision to drop Lebanese-born artist Khaled Sabsabi as its representative for the 2026 Venice Biennale has caused quite a stir in the art world. The controversy began when Creative Australia, the country’s governing arts body, announced that it had rescinded the appointment of Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino as the pavilion’s artistic team. This decision came after scrutiny of Sabsabi’s previous work, which featured reappropriated footage of the recently assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and the 9/11 attacks.
The fallout from this decision was swift, with several senior officials and staff members at Creative Australia resigning in protest. Mikala Tai, who led the organization’s visual arts department for the past four years, submitted her resignation in support of the artist. Program manager Tahmina Maskinyar also resigned, criticizing Creative Australia for its lack of due diligence in the decision-making process. Additionally, former Venice Biennale commissioner Simon Mordant resigned as an international ambassador for the event and withdrew his financial support from the pavilion in solidarity with Sabsabi.
In response to these resignations, the shortlisted artistic teams for the 2026 biennale pavilion released a letter calling for the reinstatement of Sabsabi and Dagostino. They highlighted the rigorous and professionally independent open-call process by which the artists were selected and emphasized the importance of artistic independence, freedom of speech, and moral courage in the Australian art community.
This letter was supported by over 800 artists, cultural workers, writers, and educators who signed a petition urging Creative Australia to reconsider its decision. Published in the Melbourne-based art criticism platform Memo Review, the petition accused Creative Australia of artistic censorship and questioned its commitment to artistic excellence and freedom of expression.
The controversy surrounding Khaled Sabsabi’s removal as Australia’s representative for the 2026 Venice Biennale has sparked a broader conversation about artistic freedom and censorship in the country. As the art community rallies behind Sabsabi and Dagostino, it remains to be seen how Creative Australia will respond to the growing backlash and calls for their reinstatement.
