The artist Khaled Sabsabi, dismissed in February 2025 of the Australian delegation to the Venice Biennale 2026 selected by Creative Australia (independent art promotion organization), was reinstated on July 2, 2025. Appointed on February 7, the artist had been ousted less than a week later, just like the commissioner Michael Dagostino. Following an article published in The Australian And an intervention by Senator Claire Chandler, the board of directors of Creative Australia had unanimously voted for the breach of the contract.
The decision had provoked a series of resignations of patrons and executives, including international ambassador Simon Bordant and the director of visual arts Mikaela Tai. A petition bringing together 4,300 signatures supported the artist. Mandated in March for an investigation, the Blackhall & Pearl consulting firm concluded that “A series of errors, hypotheses and missed opportunities that have prevented from responding and managing any criticism or controversy in a reflected manner likely to emerge concerning the selection decision. »» report The Guardian.
The dispute relates to two old Sabsabi videos: You (2007), showing the head of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah bathed in light, and Thank You Very Much (2006), associating the American president George W. Bush with the images of September 11. Some have seen an apology for terrorism. The artist is also accused of anti -Semitism for having boycotted the Sydney Festival in 2022 due to Israeli funding.
Born in 1965 in Lebanon, he emigrated to Australia in 1978. After a career in hip-hop, he developed a practice mixing video, painting and sculpture. This controversy has paused his career. In March 2025, an exhibition planned for the Monash University Museum of Art (MUMA), Stolon Press: Flat Earthwhich was to open on May 8, was reported indefinitely.
For its detractors, Creative Australia urgently made a hasty as they are controversial, without verifying the allegations. Successive resignations have slowed down its activities and caused an internal crisis. The departure of several patrons has notably weakened the financial situation of Creative Australia. The institution is therefore going through a crisis, just like Khaled Sabsabi. Creative Australia Director General Adrian Collette apologized to the people involved on behalf of the institution. While Robert Morgane, chairman of the board of directors, retired in May 2025.
