Khaled Sabsabi, the artist originally selected to represent Australia at the Venice Biennale, expresses deep emotional and professional distress after being dropped by Creative Australia. This decision followed a series of articles suggesting that his early works glorified terrorism, claims Sabsabi strongly denies. He criticizes the lack of communication from Creative Australia and their failure to seek context for his works from art institutions. Despite the setback, Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino are determined to continue with their initial project for the Biennale independently.
On the impact side, it's been really, really devastating-physically, intellectually and emotionally. I am exhausted. I am not sleeping well.
Those works were grossly misrepresented... anyone who knows my work understands what I stand for. I don't stand for any form of hate.
All they had to do was go to those institutions that have shown all those works and ask them for artist statements and it would have been clear.
Sabsabi and Dagostino stand firmly behind their original idea for the work for Venice and are already working to realise it there.
Collection
[
|
...
]