Creative Australia apologise after Khaled Sabsabi reinstatement ahead of 2026 Venice Biennale
The head of Australia's arts funding body has backtracked and issued an apology to two artists who were sacked as representatives to the Venice Biennale, before being reinstated in a major backflip.
Artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino were initially selected as the artistic team to represent the Australian Pavilion at the internationally-renowned 2026 arts festival held in Venice, Italy.
But in February the pair were controversially dumped by Creative Australia after questions were raised in parliament about previous artworks by Mr Sabsabi.
Michael Dagostino is the director of the Campbelltown Arts Centre. Picture: Supplied
Khaled Sabsabi with his works at Mosman Art Gallery. Picture: Supplied
Following a review released on Thursday that found 'a series of missteps, assumptions and missed opportunities' in the decision-making process the artist and curator were reinstated.
Opposition arts spokeswoman Claire Chandler cited the artworks in parliament, and hours later the creative agency had backflipped on the pair's appointment.
One of the works showed footage of the September 11 attacks spliced with a clip of George W. Bush saying 'thank you very much'.
Another contained depictions of then-Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Creative Australia acting chairman Wesley Enoch has since apologised to Mr Sabsabi and Mr Dagostino for the 'hurt and pain that they've gone through in this process'.
Wesley Enoch AM, Acting Chair of Creative Australia. Picture: Creative Australia
He acknowledged the 'personal cost' that Mr Sabsabi and Mr Dagostino had paid in this saga.
Mr Enoch reiterated the board had gone through a 'very rigorous process' which found reinstating the pair was 'the best option'.
One former board member, sculptor Lindy Lee, quit the board at the time in protest of Mr Sabsabi and Dagostino's sacking.
She told the ABC because of Mr Sabsabi's background his artwork was misinterpreted as supportive of Nasrallah.
Coalition Arts spokesman Julian Leeser has been critical of the decision to reinstate Mr Sabsabi, telling RN Breakfast he thought Creative Australia had made 'the wrong decision' the reinstatement.
Opposition arts spokesman Julian Leeser said he thought that Creative Australia had made 'the wrong decision'. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman
'The representative of Australia on the world stage should reflect our values and to reinstate this artist as our representative at the Biennale and to give them taxpayer funds I think flies in the face of those values,' he said.
Mr Leeser did not make clear which values he thought Mr Sabsabi and Mr Dagostino did not represent, however he went on to reference the artists' works as having a 'history of presenting terrorist leaders'.
He cited declining social cohesion as a reason that 'particularly at this time, this is the wrong person to be representing our country'.
Mr Sabsabi has consistently maintained that his works do not promote terrorism – a view that was backed by Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke following the board's about-face.
Arts Minister Tony Burke supported the pair's reinstatement. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman
'The report has shown that these works have not been regarded in any way, as promoting those involved with terrorism – the artist has made the same thing clear.
'If anything, the body of evidence says that these works are the exact opposite of something that could be seen to promote terrorism.
'Bearing that in mind, it makes complete sense that Creative Australia have recommissioned Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino. Their decision has my full support.'
For their part, the artist-curator pair have accepted their reinstatement and said they will 'recommit ourselves fully to this project'.
Originally published as Australia's arts council issues apology, backtracks after sacked artists reinstated as Venice Biennale reps
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The historic grip of major galleries over Australia's representatives had been broken, and the newish selection process seemed to be serving Australia well. On December 16 last year, Collette and Creative Australia's head of visual arts, Mikala Tai, conferred and the pair's selection was confirmed, the decision tightly held in the organisation for weeks for fear it would leak. Among the select few with knowledge of the successful team, the decision was regarded as 'bold' or 'courageous' – Sabsabi's Lebanese heritage and public pro-Palestinian stance connected him to the Middle East at a time when conflict in that region was emotive and polarising. But a week before the planned February 7 announcement, police lobbed their own explosive device into this febrile mix, going public with their investigations into a caravan loaded with explosives in north-west Sydney. 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Bush, until Senate question time two days later when the Coalition's then-shadow arts minster Claire Chandler rose to her feet. By all accounts, Chandler's questions sparked panic. Soon after, around 3pm, the CEO, chair and head of public affairs held a call with Creative Australia's external communications advisers, who concluded the negative media narrative around the artist and his prior artworks posed a significant risk to the reputation of Creative Australia if the stories continued to run. Burke then called Adrian Collette at 3.30pm asking why he was not alerted to the contentious artwork. He later insisted he did not demand Sabsabi's head. The report found that the minister's statement was consistent with the information received by the panel during its review. Loading Collette later recalled in testimony to Senate estimates: 'We anticipate always that the selection of the Venice artist will be controversial. It has been from time immemorial. 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In any event, at 7.41pm on February 13, Collette contacted the artistic team and advised them of the board's decision. Sabsabi and Dagostino refused to resign. Forty minutes later, after the board's statement was prepared, Collette made three unsuccessful attempts to contact them. Sabsabi and Dagostino later recalled being stunned by the turn of events: 'The Venice Biennale is one of the biggest platforms in Australian art,' Sabsabi told this masthead. 'To be selected and then have it withdrawn was devastating. It was heartbreaking and has caused ongoing anxiety. It's had a serious impact on my career, my wellbeing and my family's wellbeing.' By 6pm the following day the Herald had broken the news that philanthropist Simon Mordant had resigned, along with Mikala Tai and program manager Tahmina Maskinyar. Petitions and protests followed, the outrage lasting four months until the board voted two weeks ago to rescind its decision. Had Creative Australia been as well-prepared for the public announcement as it should have been, it is possible that its senior leadership and board may have reached a conclusion that any controversy around both works could be sensibly managed, the report concluded. The organisation was caught between its conflicting desire to do right by the artists and political realities. Ultimately, the entire mess could have been avoided if cooler heads had prevailed and due processes were followed. Changes afoot Former publisher Louise Adler is not the only commentator to draw parallels between the Sabsabi debacle and Antoinette Lattouf, the radio broadcaster who was last week awarded $70,000 after a Federal Court found she was unfairly sacked by the ABC for her political opinions concerning the war in Gaza. 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