CIMAM Condemns Australian Museums for Censoring Palestine-Related Artworks

On May 5, CIMAM, which focuses on modern art museums and collections, voiced its concerns over Australian cultural institutions increasingly censoring art related to Palestine. Their Museum Watch Committee released a report called 'Covering Dissensus: Institutional Mediation is not about Institutional Comfort,' pointing out the National Gallery of Australia (NGA). Earlier in February, the NGA asked the Pacific Indigenous art group SaVĀge K’lub to hide two Palestinian flags during the 'Te Paepae Aora’i' exhibition, claiming it posed a 'high risk' to security, an action SaVĀge K’lub deemed censorship. Additionally, Khaled Sabsabi lost his role as Creative Australia's representative for the 2026 Venice Biennale after a critical article, which may hinder his exhibition at the Monash University Museum of Art. The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network condemned the NGA's actions.