Latest news with #61stVeniceBiennale
Sky News AU
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
‘Wrong person': Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino reinstated to represent at art show following dismissal for 'controversial' work
Creative Australia acting chairman Wesley Enoch has issued a public apology to reinstated artists Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino after they were dropped from representing Australia at the 61st Venice Biennale in February. The pair were dumped as the nation's artists in February just five days after being selected to represent, after Mr Sabsabi's previous works resurfaced, including a depiction of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and a video of 9/11 featuring President George W. Bush saying, 'thank you very much.' The decision to restore the artists came after Creative Australia, the nation's official arts council, found 'a series of missteps, assumptions and missed opportunities,' had contributed to the decision to drop them from the art show in February. Appearing on ABC RN on Thursday morning, Mr Enoch said the artists suffered an immense amount of 'hurt and pain' from the sacking. 'To Khaled and Michael – I've done it in person but to say it here very publicly – I want to apologise to them for the hurt and pain they've gone through in this process,' he said. 'Though we will be stronger as a sector because of it, I know it's come at a personal cost, not just to them, but also to a whole range of people in the arts sector.' Mr Sabsabi, a Lebanese Australian artist, and Mr Dagostino shared their 'deepest and heartfelt thanks' for the decision. 'This decision has renewed our confidence in Creative Australia and in the integrity of its selection process,' they said. Arts Minister Tony Burke backed the decision to restore the sacked artists, and said evidence showed the art did the 'exact opposite of something that could be seen to promote terrorism.' '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,' he said. 'It makes complete sense that Creative Australia have recommissioned Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino. Their decision has my full support.' Appearing on ABC RN on Thursday morning, shadow arts minister Julian Leeser slammed the decision, and said Mr Sabsabi was the 'wrong person' to be representing Australia. 'When an artist has a history of presenting terrorist leaders like Hassan Nasrallah… I think particularly at this time this is the wrong person to be representing our country,' he said. 'Particularly given the tensions in Australia and the declining level of social cohesion and the anti-Semitism crisis that we've faced in this country.' Mr Leeser said the arts minister has some 'serious questions' to answer regarding Creative Australia's credibility. 'This has been a deeply flawed process from the beginning and has now led to a ridiculous outcome,' he said. 'It diminished the power of Australian art as a tool of soft diplomacy.'
Euronews
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
HBO unveils newcomers as leads for Harry Potter TV series
HBO has revealed the three new young actors who will play the much coveted lead roles in the new Harry Potter television series, one of the most eagerly anticipated for years. After a long, extraordinary worldwide search for British children aged between 9 and 11, Dominic McLaughlin has been cast as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton will be Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout is Ron Weasley. The trio are at the very start of their careers with only Stanton registering a significant acting credit having played the lead in 'Matilda: The Musical' on London's West End. In a statement by Warner Bros Discovery, showrunner and executive producer Francesca Gardiner and director executive producer Mark Mylod said: "The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen. We would like to thank all the tens of thousands of children who auditioned. It's been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of young talent out there.' The series will be a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter books by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling. Each season is expected to adapt a single book from one of the world's most popular and valuable franchises starting with "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". The show is also executive produced by J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films. The curatorial vision for the 61st Venice Biennale, 'In Minor Keys', was revealed in Venice today in an emotional presentation at the Sala delle Colonne of Ca' Giustinian, the Biennale's historic headquarters. Originally set for announcement later this year, the theme was unveiled ahead of schedule following the sad and unexpected death of the exhibition's curator, Koyo Kouoh, on 10 May. A leading figure in promoting Pan-Africanism throughout the art world, Kouoh had served as executive director and chief curator at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town, South Africa since 2019. She earned global acclaim for curating the 2022 exhibition When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting, a monumental historical show inspired by Ava DuVernay's Netflix miniseries When They See Us, and became the first African woman invited to lead the Venice Art Biennale in December 2024. With the support of Kouoh's family, La Biennale di Venezia confirmed it will proceed with the 2026 exhibition exactly as she conceived it, in what will now be a posthumous tribute to her life's work. As they noted, the edition will explore the spaces in which minor keys operate, to conceive "an exhibition that invites listening to the persistent signals of earth and life, connecting to soul frequencies. If in music, the minor keys are often associated with strangeness, melancholy, and sorrow, here their joy, solace, hope, and transcendence manifest as well." Scheduled to run from 9 May to 22 November 2026, 'In Minor Keys' will take place across the Giardini, the Arsenale, and various venues throughout Venice. The full list of participating artists, the exhibition's visual identity, and national pavilions will be officially announced at a press conference on 25 February 2026.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Venice Art Biennale to honour late curator Koyo Kouoh with 2026 exhibition ‘In Minor Keys'
The curatorial vision for the 61st Venice Biennale, 'In Minor Keys', was revealed in Venice today in an emotional presentation at the Sala delle Colonne of Ca' Giustinian, the Biennale's historic headquarters. Originally set for announcement later this year, the theme was unveiled ahead of schedule following the sad and unexpected death of the exhibition's curator, Koyo Kouoh, on 10 May. A leading figure in promoting Pan-Africanism throughout the art world, Kouoh had served as executive director and chief curator at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town, South Africa since 2019. She earned global acclaim for curating the 2022 exhibition When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting, a monumental historical show inspired by Ava DuVernay's Netflix miniseries When They See Us, and became the first African woman invited to lead the Venice Art Biennale in December 2024. Related Koyo Kouoh, 2026 Venice Art Biennale curator, dies suddenly aged 58 Bahrain wins top prize at Venice Architecture Biennale with a pavilion tackling extreme heat With the support of Kouoh's family, La Biennale di Venezia confirmed it will proceed with the 2026 exhibition exactly as she conceived it, in what will now be a posthumous tribute to her life's work. As they noted, the edition will explore the spaces in which minor keys operate, to conceive "an exhibition that invites listening to the persistent signals of earth and life, connecting to soul frequencies. If in music, the minor keys are often associated with strangeness, melancholy, and sorrow, here their joy, solace, hope, and transcendence manifest as well." Scheduled to run from 9 May to 22 November 2026, 'In Minor Keys' will take place across the Giardini, the Arsenale, and various venues throughout Venice. The full list of participating artists, the exhibition's visual identity, and national pavilions will be officially announced at a press conference on 25 February 2026.
Euronews
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Venice Biennale to honour late curator Koyo Kouoh with 2026 exhibition
The curatorial vision for the 61st Venice Biennale, 'In Minor Keys', was revealed in Venice today in an emotional presentation at the Sala delle Colonne of Ca' Giustinian, the Biennale's historic headquarters. Originally set for announcement later this year, the theme was unveiled ahead of schedule following the sad and unexpected death of the exhibition's curator, Koyo Kouoh, on 10 May. A leading figure in promoting Pan-Africanism throughout the art world, Kouoh had served as executive director and chief curator at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town, South Africa since 2019. She earned global acclaim for curating the 2022 exhibition When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting, a monumental historical show inspired by Ava DuVernay's Netflix miniseries When They See Us, and became the first African woman invited to lead the Venice Art Biennale in December 2024. With the support of Kouoh's family, La Biennale di Venezia confirmed it will proceed with the 2026 exhibition exactly as she conceived it, in what will now be a posthumous tribute to her life's work. As they noted, the edition will explore the spaces in which minor keys operate, to conceive "an exhibition that invites listening to the persistent signals of earth and life, connecting to soul frequencies. If in music, the minor keys are often associated with strangeness, melancholy, and sorrow, here their joy, solace, hope, and transcendence manifest as well." Scheduled to run from 9 May to 22 November 2026, 'In Minor Keys' will take place across the Giardini, the Arsenale, and various venues throughout Venice. The full list of participating artists, the exhibition's visual identity, and national pavilions will be officially announced at a press conference on 25 February 2026.
The Guardian
22-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Artists who represented Australia at Venice Biennale call for Khaled Sabsabi to be reinstated
Living artists who have represented Australia at the Venice Biennale over the past five decades – and the estates of a number of now deceased artists who have done the same – have signed an open letter to the board and chief executive of Creative Australia to reinstate sacked artist Khaled Sabsabi and his curator Michael Dagostino. Some of Australia's most distinguished living artists, including Imants Tillers, Mike Parr, Susan Norrie, Fiona Hall, Judy Watson, Patricia Piccinini and Tracey Moffat have signed the petition, as has the estate of Howard Arkley who represented Australia in Venice more than a quarter of a century ago. 'As artists who have represented Australia at the Venice Biennale, we strongly protest the removal of Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino as the artistic team for the 61st Venice Biennale in 2026,' the open letter states. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email 'The Venice Biennale is a rare and critical platform for Australian artists. Being selected is an extraordinary honour, and to strip the chosen artistic team of this opportunity is unacceptable. 'Indeed it signals a fundamental disregard for the role of artists in our society – especially by the very institution meant to defend them.' That institution, the Australian government's principal arts investment and advisory body, Creative Australia, is scheduled to appear before a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday. However, it will be up to the Greens and independents to interrogate Creative Australia's chief executive Adrian Collette, over allegations the body came under political pressure to rescind the Venice contract. It was a Coalition senator, Claire Chandler, who first raised objections to Sabsabi's selection as Australia's representative almost two weeks ago during question time, on the grounds the Lebanese-born Australian artist represented former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Osama bin Laden, and depictions of the 11 September terrorist attacks in earlier artwork. The Labor senators Jenny McAllister and Tim Ayres will be expected to answer questions about who knew what and when, as both the arts minister, Tony Burke, and Labor's special envoy for the arts, Susan Templeman, are in the House of Representatives. Burke has admitted he called Collette immediately after question time, but has insisted he played no role in pressuring Creative Australia's board, which met a few hours later, to disendorse Sabsabi and Dagostino. 'I made clear to Adrian Collette, who I have known for more than a decade, I said to him whatever you decide, I will support you and I will support Creative Australia,' Burke said last Monday. Collette has not responded to repeated requests from the Guardian to comment but told an all staff meeting last Thursday that Sabsabi and Dagostino would not be reinstated, sources said. The Guardian understands Collette indicated he did not believe his role had become 'untenable'. One of the art works at the centre of the controversy, a 2007 video work called You, features images of the former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed last year. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Hezbollah was not listed as a terrorist group until 2021, although the Australian government had listed its External Security Organisation military wing as a terrorist organisation in 2003. Late on Friday, Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art, which owns You, said Creative Australia's backflip had damaged Australia's international reputation and undercut the principle of freedom of expression, the Australian Financial Review reported. Another question Collette is expected to be asked on Monday is why under the government's new national cultural policy Burke has instituted music and literature boards, yet there remains no board to represent Australia's visual arts. There is only one visual arts representative on Creative Australia's board – Lindy Lee – who resigned the day after the board met, posting on social media that her board's vote to rescind Sabsabi's contract had left her feeling 'deeply conflicted'. 'I could not live the level of violation I felt against one of my core values – that the artist's voice must never be silenced,' she said. 'We live in very fractured, broken times. There is a lot of hurt out there. More than ever the artist's voice is needed.'
