Sabsabi Reinstated for Venice Biennale

Khaled Sabsabi, a Lebanese Australian artist, presents installations at the Venice Biennale in Italy, after a controversial period involving his appointment, dismissal, and subsequent reinstatement by Creative Australia. Sabsabi exhibits both ‘khalil’ within the Biennale’s main exhibition, In Minor Keys, and ‘conference of one’s self’ at the Australia Pavilion—making him one of only three artists in the Biennale’s 131-year history to achieve this.

The initial rescinding of his appointment stemmed from a political exchange regarding a 2007 artwork and concerns about antisemitism. Sabsabi continued creating art during the dispute, producing both installations in Bangkok. ‘khalil’ is a 40-meter painting overlaid with video, while ‘conference of one’s self’ is inspired by a 12th-century Sufi poem and features eight hexagonal panels.

An independent review found Creative Australia lacked proper crisis management. Despite the reinstatement and successful exhibition, the full reasoning behind the initial decision remains unclear, and the work continues to evolve as Sabsabi explores themes of spirituality and self-discovery.