Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Lifestyle
Kelly Burke

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

Western Sydney artist Khaled Sabsabi
Khaled Sabsabi has been reinstated as Australia’s representative at the Venice Biennale, with the Creative Australia acting chair apologising to him and curator Michael Dagostino. Photograph: Bec Lorrimer/The Guardian

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”.

Wesley Enoch, who took over from a retiring Robert Morgan three months after the then chair told a Senate estimates hearing 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.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.