Khaled Sabsabi has been reinstated as the artist at Australia’s pavilion for the 2026 Venice Biennale.. The move reverses the art organization’s decision to drop Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino this February, citing a “divisive debate” about the selection. The months-long controversy triggered resignations, boycotts, and a broader national conversation about artistic freedom and censorship.
The decision was made after an independent external review and will allow Sabsabi and Dagostino to begin working on their project for the upcoming Biennale. In a joint statement, the duo announced that they “welcome the opportunity to represent our country on this prestigious international stage.”
Sabsabi and Dagostino were first appointed on February 7th, but this decision was rescinded just five days later following political backlash to some of the artists’ previous works. During an Australian Senate hearing, politicians raised allegations of antisemitism related to Sabsabi’s past works, particularly You (2007), a video installation featuring Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Creative Australia’s board withdrew the appointment to avoid what it described at the time as “prolonged and divisive debate,” sparking uproar and debate among the country’s arts community.
Philanthropist Simon Mordant, who has twice served as the Australian commissioner for the Biennale, resigned as a Venice Biennale ambassador and retracted his financial support for the Australian pavilion, and more than 2,000 international artists, academics, and cultural workers signed an open letter urging Sabsabi and Dagostino’s reinstatement. However, Creative Australia initially maintained its decision, suggesting the pavilion could even be kept empty for next year’s Biennale.
The governance advisory firm Blackhall & Pearl was subsequently engaged to conduct an external review of Creative Australia’s processes. Released on July 2nd alongside the reinstatement, the report found that there was “no single or predominant failure of process, governance or decision making that resulted, ultimately, in the decision to rescind the selection.”
The report noted that “the lack of appropriate preparedness for such a major decision as Australian representation at the Venice Biennale has led to a considerably worse outcome for all involved than if prudent, carefully considered risk assessment and crisis management had been put in place.”
In a statement, the acting board chair of Creative Australia, Wesley Enoch, said the board had reflected deeply on the report’s findings and reaffirmed its support for artistic freedom. “A complex series of events created a unique set of circumstances that the board had to address. The board has considered and reflected deeply on all relevant issues to find a path forward. The Board is now of the view that proceeding with the artistic team, Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino, represents the preferred outcome.”
Mordant has also been appointed global ambassador and advocate for the 2026 Venice Biennale project.
