Australia Reinstates Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino for 2026 Venice Biennale

Artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino have been reinstated to represent Australia at the 2026 Venice Biennale. This decision follows a previous withdrawal prompted by a political controversy surrounding Sabsabi’s past artworks. Creative Australia, the body responsible for the selection, rescinded their appointment early this year due to concerns over potential political fallout.

The controversy arose from Sabsabi’s artworks created nearly two decades ago. In particular, his piece “You” from 2007, which featured images of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and another work depicting the September 11 attacks and George W. Bush, were deemed controversial. This led to parliamentary scrutiny over Sabsabi’s participation in the biennale.

A review conducted by the governance firm Blackhall and Pearl revealed shortcomings in Creative Australia’s approach to the selection process. The firm highlighted the need for a robust communications and crisis management plan to better handle such situations. This insight facilitated Creative Australia’s decision to uphold the original commission for Sabsabi and Dagostino.

The reinstatement has been met with approval from the artistic community, both in Australia and internationally. Prior opposition to their removal included resignations within Creative Australia and letters signed by prominent artists advocating for the duo’s reinstatement. The creative community’s solidarity was pivotal in reversing the decision.

Sabsabi and Dagostino expressed their gratitude and look forward to progressing with their project for the biennale. Their recommitment signifies a move towards artistic healing, channeling past challenges into creating new art for the event.

Hyperallergic reached out for further comments from Sabsabi and Creative Australia. In the meantime, the art world anticipates what this collaborative effort will bring to the 2026 Venice Biennale.