This is the most shameful act of political intervention in the arts that I have seen

On Thursday, the board of Creative Australia announced that artist Khaled Sabsabi would no longer represent Australia at the Venice Biennale in 2026. It was only a week earlier that he was offered the opportunity.

This is the most shameful act of political intervention in the arts that I have witnessed.

Max Delany, one of the most distinguished curators in Australia, described this as an “egregious example of our public institutions, and politicians, submitting to the misinformation, cancel culture and ideological campaigning of the lobby groups and Murdoch media”.

I do not know Khaled Sabsabi. We have mutual friends, and they all tell me that he is a man of good will. He was born in Lebanon. His family fled the civil war. His artwork has been dedicated to exploring the issues of migration, confronting the horror of war, and debunking racial stereotypes. He has done all this with the goal of peace and tolerance. In 2011, he was awarded the Blake Prize, which was established to encourage artists to explore spirituality. He was a worthy representative of Australia at the Venice Biennale, and his work has been collected by major galleries. To be stripped of the opportunity would be a horrendous humiliation.

Representing Australia at the Venice Biennale is the highest honour that any visual artist can receive from Creative Australia. Having the opportunity to create work for the Australian pavilion at the event ensures global exposure.

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The Biennale application process is complex and rigorous. Artists are judged by the weight of their past work, the originality of a proposal, and the strength of their curatorial team that will realise the project. The applications are reviewed and evaluated by an expert panel that comprises artists, museum directors, curators and scholars.

I have sat on a previous panel. The discussions are robust and comprehensive. Such an important decision is not made carelessly. The nomination is then presented to the Creative Australia board.

Creative Australia is the peak funding body for the arts in Australia. Its board includes a wide range of representatives from different fields. They do not have experience comparable to the advisory panel.