Why Biennale’s new director raises questions about government arts funding
Australian Jewish leaders claim the artistic head of the country’s largest cultural festival is ‘anti-Israel’ and her appointment raises questions about government arts funding.
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The woman appointed to deliver Australia’s largest international arts festival in Sydney next year is a Sharjah royal whose father once proclaimed “the Zionist presence in Palestine is a cancerous growth within the heart of the Arab nation”.
Hoor Al Qasimi, youngest daughter of the long-standing ruler of one of the seven monarchies that make up the United Arab Emirates, was confirmed in May last year as the artistic director for the Biennale of Sydney.
A prominent curator considered to be one of the most influential figures in the contemporary art world, Ms Al Qasimi has also been president of the International Biennal Association (IBA) since 2017.
In 2021 the IBA openly declared its support for Palestine.
“The International Biennal Association stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people and those who have shown their support by demonstrating their calls for an end to Israeli occupation,” an Instagram post signed by IBA Board members read.
“We encourage all of our members and supporters to join in standing with us against the injustices that have taken place as an inevitable impact of settler colonialism and to avoid complacency in the form of silence as so many continue to suffer at the hands of their oppressors.”
Ms Al Qasimi has described her father, Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi – who delivered a 1980 speech in Sharjah where he made the “cancerous growth” reference – as a “great model”.
Sections of the Australian Jewish community condemned her selection when appointed to the role for the Biennale of Sydney, claiming Ms Al Qasimi was anti-Israel.
“It is completely inappropriate for any serious cultural institution to have anyone in a leadership role who has a record of trying to art-wash the Middle East’s only democracy off the map,” Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim told The Australian at the time.
“This is yet another example of one of Australia’s flagship cultural institutions being captured by an extremist anti-western political agenda.”
Biennale of Sydney CEO Barbara Moore celebrated the recruitment of Ms Al Qasimi. Ms Moore, who is also a vice-president of the IBA, enthused about the 45-year-old’s “visionary approach”.
While The Saturday Telegraph is not suggesting Ms Al Qasimi is anti-Semitic, her pro-Palestinian stance does raise questions about the Federal Government’s approach to the funding of the arts.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese received a report on Thursday from Jillian Segal, Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat anti-Semitism, outlining a plan to deal with the issue.
Her objectives included ensuring “that public funding to cultural institutions, artists, broadcasters and individuals is not used to support or implicitly endorse anti-Semitic themes or narratives”.
“Culture shapes perception,” the report continued.
“Publicly funded institutions like arts festivals, galleries and public broadcasters must uphold anti-discrimination values and be accountable for the narratives they promote.
“While freedom of expression, particularly artistic expression, is vital to cultural richness and should be protected, funding provided by Australian taxpayers should not be used to promote division or spread false/distorted narratives.
“Funding agreements or enabling legislation should be drafted to ensure that public funding can be readily terminated where organisations or individuals engage in or facilitate anti-Semitism.”
The report also continues: “Unfortunately, in recent times, there have been many examples of the active and deliberate exclusion of Jewish artists, performers and creatives. Such conduct must be strongly rejected and countered.”
Could the government’s response to Ms Segal’s recommendations, particularly around funding, shape future appointments for key positions within the Australian arts scene to ensure they do not unnecessarily escalate local Israeli-Palestinian tensions?
Creative Australia serves as the arts funding and advisory board for the federal government and contributes $879,000 per annum to the Biennale of Sydney, while Create NSW is the state government arm and is investing around $1.6m in next year’s event.
Tim Storrier, arguably this country’s greatest living artist, told The Saturday Telegraph last month how woke politics had hijacked the Australian arts scene while pro-Palestinian activism was allowing the “appalling beast of anti-Semitism” to emerge unchallenged.
“It’s not appropriate for happenings in the Middle East to drive our cultural institutions and our arts,” he said.
“I see this appalling beast of anti-Semitism sticking its head up. It’s disgusting and outrageous.”
Tensions in the Middle East have led to scrutiny on the distribution and administration of arts funding in Australia.
Lebanese-born artist Khaled Sabsabi, a board member of the Biennale of Sydney, was part of the search committee for the artistic director’s position eventually offered to Ms Al Qasimi.
Mr Sabsabi has, himself, been at the centre of a storm in recent months after being chosen by Creative Australia to be the nation’s representative at the 2026 Venice Biennale.
He was dumped days later after a range of his early works came under the spotlight, including a 2006 video montage depicting imagery of the 9/11 attacks on New York entitled Thank You Very Much – slammed by Mr Storrier as being “utterly tasteless”.
There was widespread criticism in the art world of the decision to stand him down.
Mr Sabsabi also took to social media saying “art should not be censored”. He was controversially reinstated by Creative Australia on July 2.
As one arts observer who spoke on condition of anonymity noted: “It’s ironic that Sabsabi talks about censorship.
“He boycotted the Sydney Festival in 2022 because the Israeli embassy was funding a work by an Israeli choreographer, then signed a petition against the participation of an Israeli artist at the 2024 Venice Biennale.”
Julian Leeser, shadow federal attorney-general and shadow minister for the arts, told The Saturday Telegraph: “Creative Australia made the right decision in February to withdraw Mr Sabsabi from being our representative at the Venice Biennale.
“It is a role that comes with taxpayer funds and the honour of representing our country.
“I defend Mr Sabsabi’s right to express his artistic freedom in accordance with the law but that doesn’t mean he should be Australia’s representative or receive taxpayer funds.
“He has a history of works depicting terrorist leaders and terrorist organisations and I think, particularly at this time, it was not the right decision to reinstate him.
“We have an unprecedented crisis in our country. This is a time of declining social cohesion in Australia. It is a time of escalating anti-Semitic incidents. We just can’t let this continue.
“Organisations receiving government funding should do nothing to weaken our social cohesion.”
The Saturday Telegraph approached the Biennale of Sydney and their public relations consultants Articulate for interviews with Ms Al Qasimi and Ms Moore. The requests were denied.
Detailed questions were forwarded by email but no responses were received. Mr Sabsabi was also approached for comment.
A NSW Government spokesperson said: “The Biennale of Sydney is an independent organisation overseen by an independent board. The appointment of the Biennale’s artistic director is a decision of the organisation and the board.”
A Create NSW spokesman added: “The NSW Government supports many diverse and vibrant arts and cultural festivals, programs and events … each year.
“As the event organiser, Biennale of Sydney is responsible for all curatorial decisions including the appointment of its artistic director.”
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Originally published as Why Biennale’s new director raises questions about government arts funding
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