Creative Australia head apologises for 'hurt and pain' amid Khaled Sabsabi reinstatement for Venice Biennale
The renowned Lebanese Australian artist and curator Michael Dagostino were reinstated on Wednesday to their representative role almost six months after they were removed by the board.
In February, Sabsabi's commission for the prestigious art event was announced but, less than a week later, he and Dagostino had their invitation rescinded, with Creative Australia's board citing fears of a "prolonged and divisive debate".
On Thursday, Creative Australia acting chair Wesley Enoch said he wanted to publicly apologise for the incident, acknowledging there were a series of "missteps, assumptions and misunderstandings" in the board's call.
"I want to apologise to them for the hurt and pain they've gone through in this process," he told Radio National Breakfast.
"Though we will be stronger as a sector because of it, I know it's come at a personal cost, not just to them, but also to a whole range of people in the arts sector."
Sabsabi — who was selected for the Biennale on the recommendation of an expert panel — was dropped after questions were raised in Question Time in February.
They explicitly called out his previous works, including a 2006 work depicting the 9/11 attacks and another from 2007 showing the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah with beams of light coming from his eyes.
Enoch told Radio National an independent review had found that not one person or process was responsible for the controversial dumping but rather a " whole contextual issue".
"I'm very proud of the board in many ways because the rigour in which we undertook this was not easy," he said, adding that the board had interrogated its decision-making.
"I think it takes a very big heart to go 'we will engage in the process with integrity and thoughtfulness and move forward' and that's what we've done."
Following Sabsabi's removal, resignations quickly followed, including board member Lindy Lee and staff in the visual arts department at Creative Australia.
Lee told The Radio National Hour that the board acted on a "misunderstanding about that work in the beginning".
Asked about this, Enoch said the arts sector had rapidly evolved over the last two years.
"Some of these issues are coming up at such a rapid pace that the systems that were relevant to us even two years ago are no longer fit for purpose," he said.
"We as a sector have to be engaged in a much more rigorous kind of conversation around the messaging, the risk assessments, and how we go forward."
On Wednesday, Sabsabi and Dagostino said they were pleased by the reinstatement.
"This decision has renewed our confidence in Creative Australia and in the integrity of its selection process," they said in a joint statement.
"It offers a sense of resolution and allows us to move forward with optimism and hope after a period of significant personal and collective hardship.
The external review found "no single or predominant failure of process, governance or decision-making that resulted, ultimately, in the decision to rescind the selection of the artistic team", but instead "a series of missteps, assumptions and missed opportunities".
Creative Australia has accepted all the recommendations of the review.
Shadow Minister for the Arts Julian Leeser told Radio National the reinstatement was the "wrong decision" by Creative Australia.
"A representative for Australia on the world stage should reflect our values," he said.
"To reinstate this artist as our representative at the Biennale and to give them taxpayer funds flies in the face of those faces."
Speaking on ABC TV's Afternoon Briefing, Arts Minister Tony Burke said he applauded Creative Australia for reconsidering its decision.
"The Creative Australia board have done what a lot of boards often don't want to do [by reviewing their decision]."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

The Australian
an hour ago
- The Australian
Creative Australia apologise after Khaled Sabsabi reinstatement ahead of 2026 Venice Biennale
The head of Australia's arts funding body has backtracked and issued an apology to two artists who were sacked as representatives to the Venice Biennale, before being reinstated in a major backflip. Artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino were initially selected as the artistic team to represent the Australian Pavilion at the internationally-renowned 2026 arts festival held in Venice, Italy. But in February the pair were controversially dumped by Creative Australia after questions were raised in parliament about previous artworks by Mr Sabsabi. Michael Dagostino is the director of the Campbelltown Arts Centre. Picture: Supplied Khaled Sabsabi with his works at Mosman Art Gallery. Picture: Supplied Following a review released on Thursday that found 'a series of missteps, assumptions and missed opportunities' in the decision-making process the artist and curator were reinstated. Opposition arts spokeswoman Claire Chandler cited the artworks in parliament, and hours later the creative agency had backflipped on the pair's appointment. One of the works showed footage of the September 11 attacks spliced with a clip of George W. Bush saying 'thank you very much'. Another contained depictions of then-Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Creative Australia acting chairman Wesley Enoch has since apologised to Mr Sabsabi and Mr Dagostino for the 'hurt and pain that they've gone through in this process'. Wesley Enoch AM, Acting Chair of Creative Australia. Picture: Creative Australia He acknowledged the 'personal cost' that Mr Sabsabi and Mr Dagostino had paid in this saga. Mr Enoch reiterated the board had gone through a 'very rigorous process' which found reinstating the pair was 'the best option'. One former board member, sculptor Lindy Lee, quit the board at the time in protest of Mr Sabsabi and Dagostino's sacking. She told the ABC because of Mr Sabsabi's background his artwork was misinterpreted as supportive of Nasrallah. Coalition Arts spokesman Julian Leeser has been critical of the decision to reinstate Mr Sabsabi, telling RN Breakfast he thought Creative Australia had made 'the wrong decision' the reinstatement. Opposition arts spokesman Julian Leeser said he thought that Creative Australia had made 'the wrong decision'. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman 'The representative of Australia on the world stage should reflect our values and to reinstate this artist as our representative at the Biennale and to give them taxpayer funds I think flies in the face of those values,' he said. Mr Leeser did not make clear which values he thought Mr Sabsabi and Mr Dagostino did not represent, however he went on to reference the artists' works as having a 'history of presenting terrorist leaders'. He cited declining social cohesion as a reason that 'particularly at this time, this is the wrong person to be representing our country'. Mr Sabsabi has consistently maintained that his works do not promote terrorism – a view that was backed by Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke following the board's about-face. Arts Minister Tony Burke supported the pair's reinstatement. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman 'The report has shown that these works have not been regarded in any way, as promoting those involved with terrorism – the artist has made the same thing clear. 'If anything, the body of evidence says that these works are the exact opposite of something that could be seen to promote terrorism. 'Bearing that in mind, it makes complete sense that Creative Australia have recommissioned Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino. Their decision has my full support.' For their part, the artist-curator pair have accepted their reinstatement and said they will 'recommit ourselves fully to this project'. Brendan Kearns Cadet Journalist Brendan Kearns is a cadet journalist with News Corp Australia. He has written for The Australian, the Herald Sun, the Geelong Advertiser, CHOICE, Cosmos, and The Citizen. He won Democracy's Watchdogs' Student Award for Investigative Journalism 2024 and hosted the third season of award-winning podcast Uncurated. He studied as Master of Journalism at The University of Melbourne, before that he worked as a video producer and disability worker. @brendandkearns Brendan Kearns

Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
‘Achieved nothing': TV host mocks Australia-US alliance
Sky News host James Macpherson mocks the Australia-US alliance, claiming the phone calls Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had with US President Donald Trump 'achieved nothing'. 'Foreign Minister Penny Wong says there's no problem with the US alliance – none whatsoever,' Mr Macpherson said. 'Penny Wong says Albanese has had three very constructive conversations with the President – otherwise known as phone calls, phone calls that achieved nothing, resolved nothing, and didn't even result in a dinner invitation. 'Penny Wong heard from Marco Rubio that Donald Trump is keen to meet Anthony Albanese, and so Penny Wong will pass on to Anthony Albanese what Marco Rubio told her that he had heard from Donald Trump.'

ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Tracing the trajectory of the Christchurch terrorist
In 2019 an Australian white supremacist lifestreamed his shooting rampage through Christchurch mosques. He killed 51 people and injured more than 80 during Friday prayers. He's been treated as a lone actor. His manifesto shared online minutes before the massacre disguised his connections to far right/white extremists. And at the New Zealand Royal Commission he convinced investigators that he had minimal online presence. But other investigators, academics and anti-fascist researchers here and in New Zealand have questioned this. Journalist Joey Watson argues that by unpicking the disguised interactions the terrorist had online leading up to the mosque attacks, and following his movements in Europe, that we should not be seeing this Australian terrorist as a lone actor.