Greens defend controversial artist Khaled Sabsabi
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says the artist dropped by Creative Australia is one of the nation’s ‘great creative minds’.
The Greens have refused to condemn an artist’s depictions of a dead Hezbollah terrorist and the 9/11 attacks as they demanded Australia’s top arts body reinstate him and his creative collaborator as the country’s representatives at next year’s Venice Biennale.
Khaled Sabsabi and collaborator Michael Dagostino were dropped by Creative Australia as representatives at the world’s most prestigious arts event after The Australian’s Margin Call column revealed Sabsabi’s 2007 piece depicting Lebanese terrorist Hassan Nasrallah, in which beams of light shine from the now-dead terror chief’s eyes and mouth, “suggestive of divine illumination”.
The artwork included audio of Nasrallah speaking at a 2006 “victory rally” following Hezbollah’s month-long war with Israel.
Greens arts spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young on Monday said the dumping of Sabsabi and Dagostino was “an appalling capitulation that has plunged arts policy in Australia into crisis”.
“Artistic expression must be free from political interference and intimidation. To allow this censorship of artistic thought and expression is to allow an attack on the very values of freedom and peace that are the lifeblood of our democracy,” she said.
“To award the submission to two of Australia’s great creative minds, only to revoke it six days later after political interference, sets a dangerous precedent, not just in the art world but for all of our public institutions.”
The senator has demanded an “urgent independent inquiry” into Creative Australia’s actions and will push the agency over the matter at Senate estimates next week.
Senator Hanson-Young did not respond to questions regarding concerns over the depiction of a Hezbollah leader.
The federal government’s peak art body announced on Monday it will undergo an independent review.
Creative Australia acknowledged its decision to withdraw Sabsabi on Thursday night, less than a week after announcing him as its selected artist, had created “deep disappointment” but still remains an “advocate for artistic freedom”.
A statement said the body has an “obligation” to ensure selections are “consistent” with both its statutory obligations and ability to represent all Australians.
“Creative Australia is an advocate for artistic freedom and is not an interpreter of artistic expression however these fundamental principles must always be considered with Creative Australia’s wider obligation to all Australians,” it read.
“The board has resolved to commission an immediate, independent, external review of the 2026 Venice artistic selection process to recommend any changes considered necessary.”
No further details of the review, including who will be commissioned to carry it out, have been made available.
The news follows the Greens coming under fire from Labor and the Coalition over some elements of the party’s pro-Palestinian stance, including the blocking of access to some political offices – including Anthony Albanese’s local electorate office – and dismissal of pro-Palestinian vandalism of the Australian War Memorial.
Opposition arts spokeswoman Claire Chandler questioned the government over its decision to allow an individual “who highlights a terrorist leader in his artwork to represent Australia on the international stage at the Venice Biennale”.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said at the time that “any glorification of the Hezbollah leader Nasrallah is inappropriate”.
But following the comments from members of both major parties, and Creative Australia’s subsequent decision to drop Sabsabi and Dagostino from the Venice Biennale, the Greens declared their support for the artists – who they described as two of the nation’s “great creative minds” – and demanded an inquiry.
Senator Chandler said it was “right that Khaled Sabsabi will no longer be going on a taxpayer-funded trip representing our country”. “However, serious questions remain over why this reversal only came after the Coalition informed the government in question time … that his previous works feature former Hezbollah terrorist chief Hassan Nasrallah, Osama bin Laden, and depictions of the September 11 terror attacks,” she said. “Does the (Arts) Minister – who claims to have had no idea about this appointment – agree with the weak cop-out of a statement issued by Creative Australia which claims that Mr Sabsabi’s appointment has only been reversed to avoid a ‘divisive debate’, rather than because he has repeatedly depicted terrorists?”
Arts Minister Tony Burke said: “I’ve fought for as long as I’ve had this portfolio to make sure there’s no political interference in Creative Australia.
“I’m not sure why the Greens would want a bunch of politicians to be adjudicating on this decision,” he said.
WA finds state allies as GST battle brews
The additional GST funds, Treasurer Rita Saffioti says, are helping WA invest in the infrastructure needed to support the next wave of major projects in the state.
83,000 reasons for government to make home care a priority
The government should urgently release new home-care packages. Postponing the introduction of the Aged Care Act is justified but that must not deprive those already waiting.