Creative Australia apologises to Khaled Sabsabi for ‘hurt and pain’ after Venice Biennale reinstatement

<p>Wesley Enoch tells ABC RN the artist’s work was not about glorification of terrorism and says Sabsabi is ‘incredibly peace-loving’</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/03/nsw-wild-weather-storm-flood-evacation-warnings-warraganmba-dam">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></p></li><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>The acting chair of Creative Australia has apologised to Khaled Sabsabi and his curator Michael Dagostino for the “hurt and pain” caused by the decision to rescind their Venice Biennale commission, and said their artworks had been “mischaracterised”.</p><p>Wesley Enoch, who took over from a retiring Robert Morgan three months after the then chair <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/feb/25/venice-biennale-pavilion-could-be-empty-creative-australia-chief-tells-senators">told a Senate estimates hearing </a>he would not be resigning over the controversy, apologised to Sabsabi and Dagostino live on air on Thursday, telling ABC RN the artist’s work was not about the glorification of terrorism, as suggested in parliament in February.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=copyembed">Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email</a></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/jul/03/creative-australia-apologises-to-khaled-sabsabi-for-hurt-and-pain-after-venice-biennale-reinstatement-ntwnfb">Continue reading...</a>