NAVA statement in support of artist Khaled Sabsabi

The National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) and its Board are deeply alarmed by Creative Australia’s decision to withdraw support for the selected Venice Biennale team of artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino. This intervention—driven by political pressure and misrepresentation—undermines the integrity of independent arms-length arts funding and threatens the essential role of artists in shaping critical dialogue and public discourse.

Khaled Sabsabi is a career artist of extraordinary standing, whose work is internationally recognised for its deep engagement with identity, history, and lived experience. His practice interrogates complex political and cultural narratives, often reflecting on the conditions of displacement, conflict, and belonging. His 2007 work, You, held in the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia’s collection, exemplifies his ability to contextualise contested histories and challenge dominant narratives. Recent misrepresentation of this work by right-wing political figures—specifically, the distortion of his use of an image of Hassan Nasrallah—demonstrates a profound lack of engagement with artistic practice and context. As Sabsabi and Dagostino write in their statement, “Art should not be censored as artists reflect the times they live in.” Sabsabi’s work does not glorify; it interrogates. He does not incite; he critically reflects. Context is everything, and its deliberate erasure in the political discourse surrounding this decision is deeply troubling.

“This is a devastating and terrifying moment for artistic freedom in Australia,” said NAVA Executive Director Penelope Benton. “The decision to retract support from an artist of Sabsabi’s calibre in response to political and media pressure is an attack on arms-length arts funding and the independence of the arts sector. This is not just about one artist or one exhibition; it is about whether Australia upholds the right of artists to critically engage with history, politics, and the urgent issues of our time. The role of artists is not necessarily to comfort but to challenge, provoke, and offer new ways of seeing. The government’s intervention in this selection process is an outrageous overreach that threatens the very foundation of independent arts funding.”

Arms-length funding is a fundamental principle of a thriving and independent arts sector. The purpose of an industry-led expert panel is to make curatorial decisions free from media and political influence. Government interference in the expert panel’s selection process undermines the very principle of independence. The claim, made on the assumption that this decision avoids “unacceptable risk to public support for Australia’s artistic community” is deeply flawed. In reality, the intervention erodes public trust, alienates artists, and sparks widespread protest from those who stand with Sabsabi and Dagostino as a matter of principle.

NAVA stands unequivocally with Khaled Sabsabi, Michael Dagostino, and all artists whose work faces censorship due to political interference. This decision has far-reaching consequences for the future of Australian arts. If political pressure can overturn expert arts decisions today, what does this mean for the next generation of Australian artists?

NAVA calls on Creative Australia to reinstate Sabsabi and Dagostino, provide transparency around this decision and urges the Australian Government to reaffirm its commitment to arms-length funding. The arts must remain independent. Anything less threatens the integrity and future of our sector.

Media Enquiries
Leya Reid
media@visualarts.net.au

About NAVA
The National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) is a Membership organisation that brings together the many voices of the contemporary arts sector to improve fundamental conditions of work and practice. We do this through advocacy, education and the Code of Practice. For further information on NAVA visit www.visualarts.net.au