Last year’s representatives for Australia at the Venice Biennale, and the winners of the Golden Lion top prize, have called for reinstating the artist and curator originally selected for the 2026 pavilion. Creative Australia, the federal body organizing the pavilion, announced that it was withdrawing the appointment of Lebanese-born artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino on February 13. In a statement reproduced in full at the end of this article, the Bigambul-Kamilaroi artist Archie Moore and curator Ellie Buttrose said they were “appalled” by the decision.
In 2024, Moore and Buttrose became the first team from Australia to secure the prestigious event’s top prize for Best National Participation for their pavilion presentation kith and kin. The project consisted of redacted coroners’ reports for Aboriginal people who died while in detainment and a chalk-written diagram documenting 65,000 years of Moore’s family lineage.
Today, the duo criticized Creative Australia’s board for abandoning its biennial appointment of Sabsabi and Dagostino “quickly and without transparent process,” describing the move as “a corruption of [the federal body’s] core principles.” The decision to nix the 2026 artistic team artist came less than a week after their selection, and followed media and political scrutiny over some of Sabsabi’s previous work, setting off a series of staff and board resignations and eliciting immediate outrage from Australian arts community members.
“It is distressing to see that the arms-length objectivity of the Australia Pavilion’s selection process is so easily undone and that the independence of Creative Australia is so quickly compromised,” Moore and Buttrose said in their statement.
“To regain its credibility, Creative Australia must return to its founding mandate: supporting artistic practice, advocating for freedom of expression, and promoting the understanding of the arts,” the pair continued.
In an email to Hyperallergic regarding Creative Australia’s rescission, Sabsabi and Dagostino wrote: “We are deeply disappointed by Creative Australia’s decision to withdraw our appointment to represent Australia at the 2026 Venice Biennale,” describing the experience as “profoundly traumatic … personally and professionally.”
The pair asked for privacy at this time, but added: “We are grateful for the support from the arts community and the public, and we remain committed to the fundamental principles of artistic expression and cultural dialogue.”
Read Moore and Buttrose’s full statement below.
As the 2024 Artistic Team for the Australia Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, we were beneficiaries of Creative Australia’s unwavering support. Creative Australia always shielded us from external pressures. Our Venice Biennale experience was positive and rewarding professionally and artistically. We are exceptionally grateful to have had this opportunity made possible by the support of the Australian Government and the generosity of private philanthropy combined.
Our project, kith and kin, was selected by an esteemed independent international jury and Creative Australia, with Creative Australia reserving the final decision. The merit of this arms-length selection process was proven with kith and kin being awarded the Golden Lion for Best National Pavilion, the first time Australia has received this recognition since first attending the Venice Biennale in 1954. We understand that the same rigorous process was used in the selection of the 2026 team of artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino.
We were appalled to learn that on 13 February the Board of Creative Australia quickly and without transparent process rescinded its contract with Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino. While their statement did not clarify the board’s reasons for their dismissal, the timing coincides with politically motivated accusations questioning the artist’s integrity in the media and in Senate Question Time. It is distressing to see that the arms-length objectivity of the Australia Pavilion’s selection process is so easily undone and that the independence of Creative Australia is so quickly compromised. To regain its credibility, Creative Australia must return to its founding mandate: supporting artistic practice, advocating for freedom of expression, and promoting the understanding of the arts. The decision by the Creative Australia Board to remove the 2026 Artistic Team is a corruption of its core principles, and the longer-term and wider implications for Australian artists, art professionals and audiences are unacceptable.
We call for transparency on the Board of Creative Australia’s decision-making process and for the reinstatement of Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino as the 2026 Artistic Team for the Australia Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.
