Donors’ threat to withdraw from Biennale over appointment of Emirati royal

Donors are threatening to withdraw from the Biennale of Sydney, after pro-Palestinian art curator and Emirati royal, Hoor Al Qasimi, was confirmed as artistic director of the 2026 event.

2026 Biennale of Sydney artistic director Hoor Al Qasimi. Picture: Dan Boud

Donors are reportedly threatening to withdraw support from Australia’s largest arts festival, the Biennale of Sydney, after a pro-Palestinian activist was made a director of the 2026 event.

Prominent art curator and Emirati royal, Hoor Al Qasimi, was confirmed as artistic director of the 25th Biennale of Sydney on Thursday, as tensions flare over pro-Palestine university protests across the country.

The decision has angered many in the Australian Jewish community who claim Ms Al Qasimi is an anti-Israel activist in the arts world through both the Sharjah Art Foundation she directs and her fashion label Qasimi.

Further issue was taken with her appointment after it was revealed Ms Al Qasimi signed an open letter on October 19 denouncing the “systemic destruction of Palestinians and Palestine society in Gaza (by Israel)”.

The letter expressed support for “Palestinian liberation and call for an end to the killing and harming of all civilians, an immediate ceasefire, the passage of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and the end of the complicity of our governing bodies in grave human rights violations and war crimes.”

The letter, posted on Artforum, made no mention of the Hamas massacre of 1200 Israelis on October 7 or the taking of hostages into Gaza, until another group expressed its distress at the “one-sided view”, prompting the authors of the petition four days later to clarify that they felt “revulsion” at the slaughter.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim said the community condemned the appointment of Ms Al Qasimi. “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,” he said. “This is yet another example of one of Australia’s flagship cultural institutions being captured by an extremist anti-western political agenda. ”

The Australian understands that several donors to the Biennale are considering withdrawing their support for the event in the wake of the appointment.

Those concerns come after the appointment was endorsed by Biennale of Sydney CEO Barbara Moore in a statement announcing the news on Thursday.

Ms Moore expressed her support for the senior royal as the “perfect fit to lead the artistic direction of the event,” alongside NSW Minister for the Arts John Graham, who said he “looked forward to seeing Hoor Al Qasimi’s creative vision brought to life”.

However, when asked about the concerns raised by the Jewish community, Mr Graham emphasised that the Biennale was not liable to government oversight.

Ms Al Qasimi and Ms Moore were contacted for comment through the Biennale of Sydney but did not respond before deadline.