Artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino have been recommissioned by Creative Australia as the Artistic Team for the Australia Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale.
The move follows the release of an external report into Creative Australia’s governance, decision-making and risk management processes in relation to Australia’s participation at Venice in 2026.
In February, the pair was announced as Australia’s representative at the 61st Venice Biennale, before the invitation was rescinded by Creative Australia a week later. The decision to withdraw the invitation drew widespread condemnation from Australia’s artistic community and led to a number of high-profile resignations in support of Sabsabi and Dagostino.
The Board has accepted all the recommendations of the report which will be implemented by Creative Australia, and announced: “After a further analysis and risk assessment on the best path forward for 2026 the Board has decided to proceed with the original commission of the Artistic Team for Venice.”
In a statement, Sabsabi and Dagostino said, “This decision has renewed our confidence in Creative Australia and in the integrity of its selection process. 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.”
Milani Gallery, which represents Sabsabi, released a statement commending Creative Australia for the decision, and thanking “the Australian and International arts community for your unwavering solidarity and support, without which this outcome would not have been possible.”
Since the withdrawal of the invitation, Sabsabi had been working on the first phase of the project in Thailand with the support of community fundraising, intending to present the final work in Venice regardless. In today’s statement, the pair said: “We would not have reached this point without the unwavering support of the Australian and international creative community. Their solidarity, belief, and encouragement sustained us throughout this difficult time, making it possible for us to continue our work and remain in a position to accept this recommission. We are deeply grateful for the generosity, commitment and advocacy of our families, peers, core project team, sector and financial supporters—this outcome would not have been possible without them.”
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