Lebanese-born artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino are back at the helm of Australia’s 2026 Venice Biennale pavilion, following a dramatic reversal by the organization that makes the Australian Pavilion in Venice possible, Creative Australia.
The decision, reported earlier today by the Art Newspaper, comes after an independent review and months of backlash over their abrupt removal—a move that critics widely condemned as a politically motivated act of censorship.
The trouble began in February, just days after Creative Australia announced Sabsabi’s selection. A column in The Australian labeled the pavilion a “creative approach to racism,” singling out You, Sabsabi’s 2007 video installation that includes manipulated footage of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah addressing a crowd after the 2006 Lebanon–Israel war.
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In one scene, rays of light emanate from Nasrallah’s face—imagery that the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, which owns the work, described as “suggestive of a divine illumination” and meant to provoke reflection on how media can deify or demonize figures depending on context
The article also accused Sabsabi and Dagostino of having “favored boycotts of Israel,” referencing Sabsabi’s 2022 Sydney Festival withdrawal over its Israeli government sponsorship and insinuating that both men were unsuitable to be “custodians of our nation’s reputation”
Days after the article ran, the board of Creative Australia unanimously pulled the plug, citing the risk of a “prolonged and divisive debate” and claiming the move was necessary to preserve public trust in the arts. They made the announcement quietly—without directly mentioning You or the controversy.
The fallout was swift. Senior Creative Australia staffers Mikala Tai and Tahmina Maskinyar resigned in protest. So did Simon Mordant, former international ambassador for the Australian Pavilion and a major cultural philanthropist, who called the debacle “a very dark day for Australia and the arts.”
Artists and institutions rallied behind Sabsabi. The five shortlisted candidates for the pavilion issued an open letter demanding his reinstatement.
At the time, Palestinian artist Emily Jacir, a former Venice Golden Lion winner, wrote on Instagram “Shame on Creative Australia,” while Iranian-Australian artist Hoda Afshar called the decision “fascism.” Even West Space, a Melbourne gallery that has recieved funding from Creative Australia, released a rebuke, warning of “long-term negative impact” on Australia’s cultural standing.
Meanwhile, Sabsabi and Dagostino remained defiant. “Art should not be censored as artists reflect the times they live in,” they said in a joint statement in February. “We also believe that, despite this decision, the Australian art world will not dim or be silent”
Creative Australia initially doubled down, even floating the idea of leaving the pavilion empty in 2026. But in May, board chair Robert Morgan resigned. First Nations playwright Wesley Enoch was appointed acting chair. On July 2, after an external review, Sabsabi and Dagostino were officially invited back—and accepted.
In a new statement, the duo called the reversal “a sense of resolution” after “significant personal and collective hardship,” and thanked the creative community whose “unwavering support” made it possible.
What they’ll present in Venice remains to be seen. What’s certain: the pavilion won’t be empty—and the message it carries will be anything but neutral.
