Protesters target Liberal Senator amid debate over artistic freedom
Protesters have staged a demonstration outside the offices of Liberal Senator Claire Chandler over her role in the dumping of the artist producing Australia’s entry to a prestigious exhibition.
Tasmania
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Protesters have staged a demonstration outside the offices of Liberal Senator Claire Chandler over her role in the dumping of the artist producing Australia’s entry to the 2026 Venice Biennale.
Sydney multimedia artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino were dropped by Creative Australia after Senator Chandler asked questions in parliament about works including a 2006 video by the artist about the 9/11 attacks entitled Thank You Very Much.
The Shadow Minister for Science and the Arts said it was unacceptable “in the midst of an antisemitism crisis for the government to have chosen an artist who had depicted [former Hezbollah chief Hassan] Nasrallah, [terrorist Osama] bin Laden and September 11 in his work.”
Creative Australia dropped the artist after an urgent board meeting and has announced an independent review.
Australia’s international ambassador for Venice 2026, Simon Mordant quit in response to the decision, which has provided anger in the artistic community.
A group of artists and activists held a demonstration outside Sentator Chandler’s office on Thursday in support of artistic freedom.
Artist and Tasmanian Palestinian Action Network member Siobhan Marriott condemned the Senator’s stance.
“Under Claire Chandler we’ve got a future arts policy of silencing and censoring artists, and replacing them with comfortable escapism,” she said.
“Artist freedoms need to be protected. Islamophobia needs to be stamped out.
“And it is very hypocritical of Chandler to work to censor artists after holding herself up as a bastion of free speech, when actually it was selective free speech.
“Senator Chandler is deeply unfit to be shadow Arts Minister, she doesn’t have the grounding in contemporary art and contemporary culture that is necessary to be able to work with artists, and not against them.”
Senator Chandler accused the federal government of failing to act on anti-Semitism in the arts.
“Concerned Australians and members of Australia’s Jewish community have consistently raised their concerns with the Minister over the misuse of Creative Australia’s funding and grants programs,” she said.
“Earlier this month media reported that the Minister failed to act decisively to remove a board member who made antisemitic comments from his taxpayer-funded position at Creative Australia.”
Music Council member Fred Leone denied accusations he called supporters of Israel “c —ts” and “scum” and encouraged people to boycott “Zionist” artists.
“I have never made that statement or a blanket statement like that,” he wrote.
More than 4500 artists have signed an open letter to Creative Australia demanding the reinstatement of Khaled Sabsabi.
Senator Chandler is standing for re-election as a Senator for Tasmania at the upcoming federal election.
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