A forthcoming exhibition showcasing artist Khaled Sabsabi’s work, who was controversially relieved from representing Australia at the Venice Biennale last month, has been “indefinitely postponed,” announced by Monash University.

In February, the Lebanese-born artist, residing in western Sydney, and curator Michael Dagostino were named as Australia’s representatives for the 2026 Venice Biennale. However, within six days, Creative Australia, Australia’s federal arts body, revoked their selection following widespread media and political criticism over Sabsabi’s use of imagery related to the 9/11 attacks and the assassination of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in previous works.

The exhibition, titled Stolon Press: Flat Earth, had been in the planning stages for eighteen months and was scheduled to open on May 8 at Monash University Museum of Art (MUMA) in Caulfield East, Melbourne. Guardian Australia reports that the decision to cancel the exhibition came from Monash University, not the museum staff.

Sabsabi’s gallerist, Josh Milani, expressed his concerns that Creative Australia’s actions are significantly affecting Sabsabi’s career. He stated that the cancellation directly results from Creative Australia’s support withdrawal for Sabsabi, both as an artist and an individual, allowing him to be wrongly labeled a terrorist sympathizer.

A spokesperson for Monash University confirmed the postponement, citing the need for further collaboration and engagement with the community for the exhibition, but did not specify why or if there would be a reschedule. Creative Australia’s selection of Sabsabi and Dagostino remains under review, and there’s ongoing discussion about the potential impact and outcomes of this controversy on upcoming events and Australia’s representation in the art world.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/mar/26/khaled-sabsabi-monash-university-show-cancelled-venice-biennale-ntwnfb