Long-awaited probe into dumped Biennale artists lands
A review of the selection process for Australia's dumped Venice Biennale team has been handed to the federal government's peak arts body.
Creative Australia commissioned the review following uproar in the arts world over the dumping of artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino.
The pair had been announced in February as the nation's picks for the Venice Biennale, contemporary art's most prestigious event.
But they were rapidly disinvited when some of Sabsabi's early work, which referenced terrorism, was raised in federal parliament, and a last-minute meeting of the Creative Australia board quickly overturned the selection.
More than 4000 people, including some of Australia's most respected artists, have since called for Sabsabi and Dagostino to be reinstated.
Creative Australia announced the appointment of consultants Blackhall & Pearl in March, however their terms of reference did not explicitly require scrutiny of how Sabsabi and Dagostino were dumped.
In a statement issued late on Wednesday, Creative Australia said its board had received a copy of the review and was carefully considering the findings.
"The board is committed to transparency and intends to release the report in full once it has reviewed its contents and is in a position to formally respond to the recommendations," the arts agency said in a statement.
At a Senate estimates hearing examining the controversy in February, Creative Australia chief executive Adrian Colette said the review of the biennale selection process would be critical in rebuilding confidence and should not take more than a few weeks.
He repeatedly told the hearing a selection process to replace the art team "will have to happen in parallel" to the external review.
But in the months since the review was launched, there has been no sign of a formal process to find a replacement team to send to the Biennale.
That raises the likelihood Australia's official pavilion at the event will stand empty a year after the nation won the Biennale's prestigious Golden Lion for the first time.
Creative Australia initially rescinded its invitation to Sabsabi and Dagostino on the grounds it would cause a prolonged and divisive debate and that it posed an unacceptable risk to public support for Australia's artistic community.
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Perth Now
6 hours ago
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Long-awaited probe into dumped Biennale artists lands
A review of the selection process for Australia's dumped Venice Biennale team has been handed to the federal government's peak arts body. Creative Australia commissioned the review following uproar in the arts world over the dumping of artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino. The pair had been announced in February as the nation's picks for the Venice Biennale, contemporary art's most prestigious event. But they were rapidly disinvited when some of Sabsabi's early work, which referenced terrorism, was raised in federal parliament, and a last-minute meeting of the Creative Australia board quickly overturned the selection. More than 4000 people, including some of Australia's most respected artists, have since called for Sabsabi and Dagostino to be reinstated. Creative Australia announced the appointment of consultants Blackhall & Pearl in March, however their terms of reference did not explicitly require scrutiny of how Sabsabi and Dagostino were dumped. In a statement issued late on Wednesday, Creative Australia said its board had received a copy of the review and was carefully considering the findings. "The board is committed to transparency and intends to release the report in full once it has reviewed its contents and is in a position to formally respond to the recommendations," the arts agency said in a statement. At a Senate estimates hearing examining the controversy in February, Creative Australia chief executive Adrian Colette said the review of the biennale selection process would be critical in rebuilding confidence and should not take more than a few weeks. He repeatedly told the hearing a selection process to replace the art team "will have to happen in parallel" to the external review. But in the months since the review was launched, there has been no sign of a formal process to find a replacement team to send to the Biennale. That raises the likelihood Australia's official pavilion at the event will stand empty a year after the nation won the Biennale's prestigious Golden Lion for the first time. Creative Australia initially rescinded its invitation to Sabsabi and Dagostino on the grounds it would cause a prolonged and divisive debate and that it posed an unacceptable risk to public support for Australia's artistic community.
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"It is a major milestone," said Andrew Olmem, a managing partner at law firm Mayer Brown and the former deputy director of the National Economic Council during Trump's first term. "It establishes, for the first time, a regulatory regime for stablecoins, a rapidly developing financial product and industry." Stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency designed to maintain a constant value, usually a 1:1 dollar peg, are commonly used by crypto traders to move funds between tokens. If signed into law, the stablecoin bill would require tokens to be backed by liquid assets - such as US dollars and short-term Treasury bills - and for issuers to publicly disclose the composition of their reserves on a monthly basis. The crypto industry has long pushed for lawmakers to pass legislation creating rules for digital assets, arguing that a clear framework could enable stablecoins to become more widely used. 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The US Senate has passed a bill to create a regulatory framework for US-dollar-pegged cryptocurrency tokens known as stablecoins, in a watershed moment for the digital asset industry. The bill, dubbed the GENIUS Act, received bipartisan support, with several Democrats joining most Republicans to back the proposed federal rules. It passed 68-30. The House of Representatives, which is controlled by Republicans, needs to pass its version of the bill before it heads to President Donald Trump's desk for approval. "It is a major milestone," said Andrew Olmem, a managing partner at law firm Mayer Brown and the former deputy director of the National Economic Council during Trump's first term. "It establishes, for the first time, a regulatory regime for stablecoins, a rapidly developing financial product and industry." Stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency designed to maintain a constant value, usually a 1:1 dollar peg, are commonly used by crypto traders to move funds between tokens. If signed into law, the stablecoin bill would require tokens to be backed by liquid assets - such as US dollars and short-term Treasury bills - and for issuers to publicly disclose the composition of their reserves on a monthly basis. The crypto industry has long pushed for lawmakers to pass legislation creating rules for digital assets, arguing that a clear framework could enable stablecoins to become more widely used. The sector spent more than $US119 million backing pro-crypto congressional candidates in last year's elections and had tried to paint the issue as bipartisan. The House of Representatives passed a stablecoin bill last year but the Senate - in which Democrats held the majority at the time - did not take that bill up, and it died. Trump has sought to broadly overhaul US cryptocurrency policies after courting cash from the industry during his presidential campaign. Most Democrats opposed the bill. They raised concerns that the measure does little to address Trump's personal financial interests in the crypto space. Bo Hines, who leads Trump's Council of Advisers on Digital Assets, has said the White House wants a stablecoin bill passed before August. Trump's crypto ventures include a meme coin called $TRUMP, launched in January, and a business called World Liberty Financial, a crypto company owned partly by the president. The White House has said there are no conflicts of interest present for Trump and that his assets are in a trust managed by his children. Other Democrats expressed concern that the bill would not prevent big tech companies from issuing their own private stablecoins, and argued that legislation needed stronger anti-money laundering protections and prohibitions on foreign stablecoin issuers. The bill could face further changes in the House of Representatives. 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The sector spent more than $US119 million backing pro-crypto congressional candidates in last year's elections and had tried to paint the issue as bipartisan. The House of Representatives passed a stablecoin bill last year but the Senate - in which Democrats held the majority at the time - did not take that bill up, and it died. Trump has sought to broadly overhaul US cryptocurrency policies after courting cash from the industry during his presidential campaign. Most Democrats opposed the bill. They raised concerns that the measure does little to address Trump's personal financial interests in the crypto space. Bo Hines, who leads Trump's Council of Advisers on Digital Assets, has said the White House wants a stablecoin bill passed before August. Trump's crypto ventures include a meme coin called $TRUMP, launched in January, and a business called World Liberty Financial, a crypto company owned partly by the president. The White House has said there are no conflicts of interest present for Trump and that his assets are in a trust managed by his children. Other Democrats expressed concern that the bill would not prevent big tech companies from issuing their own private stablecoins, and argued that legislation needed stronger anti-money laundering protections and prohibitions on foreign stablecoin issuers. The bill could face further changes in the House of Representatives. In a statement, the Conference of State Bank Supervisors called for "critical changes" to mitigate financial stability risks. "CSBS remains concerned with the dramatic and unsupported expansion of the authority of uninsured banks to conduct money transmission or custody activities nationwide without the approval or oversight of host state supervisors," said Brandon Milhorn, president and CEO of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, in a statement.
The Advertiser
11 hours ago
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G7 abandons joint Ukraine statement as wars head agenda
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Other leaders do not need to sign off on G7 chair statements. A European official said leaders had stressed to Trump their plans to be hard on Russia and Trump seemed impressed, though he does not like sanctions in principle. Three European diplomats said they had heard signals from Trump that he wanted to raise pressure on Putin and consider a US Senate bill drafted by Senator Lindsey Graham, but that he had not committed to anything. "I am returning to Germany with cautious optimism that decisions will also be made in America in the coming days to impose further sanctions against Russia," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said. G7 leaders agreed on six statements, about migrant smuggling, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, wildfires, transnational repression and quantum computing. 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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will leave the G7 summit with new aid from host Canada for its war against invader Russia but without a joint statement of support from members or a chance to meet with US President Donald Trump. The G7 wealthy nations struggled to find unity over the conflict in Ukraine after Trump expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and left a day early to address the Israel-Iran conflict from Washington. Canada dropped plans for the G7 to issue a strong statement on the war in Ukraine after resistance from the United States, a Canadian official told reporters. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa would provide C$US2 billion ($1.47 billion) in new military assistance for Kyiv as well as impose new financial sanctions. Carney said when G7 leaders met for dinner in the Rocky Mountain resort area of Kananaskis on Monday before Trump left, they stressed the importance of using "maximum pressure against Russia" to force it to start serious peace talks. "Even if the American President is not putting enough pressure on Russia right now, the truth is that America still has the broadest global interests and the largest number of allies. All of them will need strong protection," he said in a post on his Telegram account. Although Canada is one of Ukraine's most vocal defenders, its ability to help Kyiv is far outweighed by the US, the largest arms supplier. Zelenskiy had said he hoped to talk to Trump about acquiring more weapons. When the summit ends, Carney plans to issue a chair statement calling for more pressure on Russia through sanctions and saying the G7 backs US-led peace efforts, two G7 sources said. Canada holds the rotating G7 presidency this year. Other leaders do not need to sign off on G7 chair statements. A European official said leaders had stressed to Trump their plans to be hard on Russia and Trump seemed impressed, though he does not like sanctions in principle. Three European diplomats said they had heard signals from Trump that he wanted to raise pressure on Putin and consider a US Senate bill drafted by Senator Lindsey Graham, but that he had not committed to anything. "I am returning to Germany with cautious optimism that decisions will also be made in America in the coming days to impose further sanctions against Russia," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said. G7 leaders agreed on six statements, about migrant smuggling, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, wildfires, transnational repression and quantum computing. Trump said on Monday he needed to be back in Washington as soon as possible due to the situation in the Middle East, where escalating attacks between Iran and Israel have raised risks of a broader regional conflict. He later said his early departure from the summit had "nothing to do with" working on a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, however, denying comments by French President Emmanuel Macron, who had said the US president leaving could be a sign of a potential deal. A White House official on Tuesday said Trump explained that he returned to the US because it is better to hold high-level National Security Council meetings in person, rather than over the phone. Trump did agree to a group statement published on Monday calling for a resolution of the Israel-Iran conflict. The statement said Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror and that Israel has the right to defend itself. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will leave the G7 summit with new aid from host Canada for its war against invader Russia but without a joint statement of support from members or a chance to meet with US President Donald Trump. The G7 wealthy nations struggled to find unity over the conflict in Ukraine after Trump expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and left a day early to address the Israel-Iran conflict from Washington. Canada dropped plans for the G7 to issue a strong statement on the war in Ukraine after resistance from the United States, a Canadian official told reporters. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa would provide C$US2 billion ($1.47 billion) in new military assistance for Kyiv as well as impose new financial sanctions. Carney said when G7 leaders met for dinner in the Rocky Mountain resort area of Kananaskis on Monday before Trump left, they stressed the importance of using "maximum pressure against Russia" to force it to start serious peace talks. "Even if the American President is not putting enough pressure on Russia right now, the truth is that America still has the broadest global interests and the largest number of allies. All of them will need strong protection," he said in a post on his Telegram account. Although Canada is one of Ukraine's most vocal defenders, its ability to help Kyiv is far outweighed by the US, the largest arms supplier. Zelenskiy had said he hoped to talk to Trump about acquiring more weapons. When the summit ends, Carney plans to issue a chair statement calling for more pressure on Russia through sanctions and saying the G7 backs US-led peace efforts, two G7 sources said. Canada holds the rotating G7 presidency this year. Other leaders do not need to sign off on G7 chair statements. A European official said leaders had stressed to Trump their plans to be hard on Russia and Trump seemed impressed, though he does not like sanctions in principle. Three European diplomats said they had heard signals from Trump that he wanted to raise pressure on Putin and consider a US Senate bill drafted by Senator Lindsey Graham, but that he had not committed to anything. "I am returning to Germany with cautious optimism that decisions will also be made in America in the coming days to impose further sanctions against Russia," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said. G7 leaders agreed on six statements, about migrant smuggling, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, wildfires, transnational repression and quantum computing. Trump said on Monday he needed to be back in Washington as soon as possible due to the situation in the Middle East, where escalating attacks between Iran and Israel have raised risks of a broader regional conflict. He later said his early departure from the summit had "nothing to do with" working on a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, however, denying comments by French President Emmanuel Macron, who had said the US president leaving could be a sign of a potential deal. A White House official on Tuesday said Trump explained that he returned to the US because it is better to hold high-level National Security Council meetings in person, rather than over the phone. Trump did agree to a group statement published on Monday calling for a resolution of the Israel-Iran conflict. The statement said Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror and that Israel has the right to defend itself. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will leave the G7 summit with new aid from host Canada for its war against invader Russia but without a joint statement of support from members or a chance to meet with US President Donald Trump. The G7 wealthy nations struggled to find unity over the conflict in Ukraine after Trump expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and left a day early to address the Israel-Iran conflict from Washington. Canada dropped plans for the G7 to issue a strong statement on the war in Ukraine after resistance from the United States, a Canadian official told reporters. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa would provide C$US2 billion ($1.47 billion) in new military assistance for Kyiv as well as impose new financial sanctions. Carney said when G7 leaders met for dinner in the Rocky Mountain resort area of Kananaskis on Monday before Trump left, they stressed the importance of using "maximum pressure against Russia" to force it to start serious peace talks. "Even if the American President is not putting enough pressure on Russia right now, the truth is that America still has the broadest global interests and the largest number of allies. All of them will need strong protection," he said in a post on his Telegram account. Although Canada is one of Ukraine's most vocal defenders, its ability to help Kyiv is far outweighed by the US, the largest arms supplier. Zelenskiy had said he hoped to talk to Trump about acquiring more weapons. When the summit ends, Carney plans to issue a chair statement calling for more pressure on Russia through sanctions and saying the G7 backs US-led peace efforts, two G7 sources said. Canada holds the rotating G7 presidency this year. Other leaders do not need to sign off on G7 chair statements. A European official said leaders had stressed to Trump their plans to be hard on Russia and Trump seemed impressed, though he does not like sanctions in principle. Three European diplomats said they had heard signals from Trump that he wanted to raise pressure on Putin and consider a US Senate bill drafted by Senator Lindsey Graham, but that he had not committed to anything. "I am returning to Germany with cautious optimism that decisions will also be made in America in the coming days to impose further sanctions against Russia," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said. G7 leaders agreed on six statements, about migrant smuggling, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, wildfires, transnational repression and quantum computing. Trump said on Monday he needed to be back in Washington as soon as possible due to the situation in the Middle East, where escalating attacks between Iran and Israel have raised risks of a broader regional conflict. He later said his early departure from the summit had "nothing to do with" working on a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, however, denying comments by French President Emmanuel Macron, who had said the US president leaving could be a sign of a potential deal. A White House official on Tuesday said Trump explained that he returned to the US because it is better to hold high-level National Security Council meetings in person, rather than over the phone. Trump did agree to a group statement published on Monday calling for a resolution of the Israel-Iran conflict. The statement said Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror and that Israel has the right to defend itself.
