Venice Biennale Curators Dropped by the Board for Past Controversial Works
Khaled Sabsabi has been removed as Australia’s representative at the Venice Biennale, a decision that has sparked significant controversy and led to several resignations at Creative Australia, the organization responsible for the Australian Pavilion.
This “Sabsabi cancellation protest” sparked a reaction amongst his peers. A public letter from some of the nation’s most prominent artists explicitly expressing their opposition to the dismissal of Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino.
Among the signatories are notable Australian artists such as Imants Tillers, Mike Parr, Susan Norrie, Fiona Hall, Judy Watson, Patricia Piccinini, and Tracey Moffatt, along with the estate of Howard Arkley, who represented Australia in Venice over twenty-five years ago.
Artists Protest Art Censorship
Sabsabi and his curator, Michael Dagostino, were dismissed after an Australian newspaper brought attention to a previous artwork by the Lebanese-born artist that depicted a Hezbollah leader. The Australian article asserted that selecting Sabsabi to represent Australia constituted a “creative form of racism.”
Image Courtesy- Limelight
A wave of criticism soon emerged on social media and within Creative Australia as one “artist protest art censorship”, which has reportedly experienced two resignations: Mikala Tai, who oversaw the organization’s visual arts division, and Tahmina Maskinyar, a program manager. The Guardian was the first to report on these resignations on Friday.
International artists echoed these sentiments. Palestinian artist Emily Jacir, a former Golden Lion recipient at the Venice Biennale, expressed on Instagram, “Shame on Creative Australia.” Iranian photographer Hoda Afshar stated, “This is fascism.”
Image courtesy- Limelight
The debate revolved around Sabsabi’s 2007 video installation, You, which includes altered visuals of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Detractors claimed that such representations were unsuitable for Australia’s global portrayal, especially against the backdrop of recent antisemitic events within the nation.
However, the Museum of Contemporary Art, which houses the piece in its collection, refers to it as “purposefully ambiguous,” noting that Sabsabi intentionally distorts Nasrallah’s likeness by obscuring his face with beams of light, aiming to create uncertainty and invite various interpretations. This approach reflects Sabsabi’s overall artistic ethos, which is profoundly shaped by his experiences as a Lebanese-Australian delving into themes of identity, conflict, and belonging.
Upholding Freedom of Artistic Expression
Robert Morgan from Creative Australia’s board expressed that the board was taken aback by the artwork and found itself in a difficult situation.
Another board member indicated that the board’s actions could lead the agency to experience the same divisive political conflicts that ABC has faced. She later remarked that Collette and the board could no longer stay in their positions due to the revelation that they did not seek legal advice before Sabsabi’s dismissal and failed to provide the artist with an opportunity to respond.
This incident not only highlights the challenges faced by cultural institutions under external pressures but also raises critical questions about the nation’s commitment to upholding artistic freedom and the principles of arm’s length governance in the arts sector.
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