Creative Australia Chair Resigns Amid Venice Biennale Censorship Controversy

On May 23, Robert Morgan stepped down from his position as chair of Creative Australia following significant backlash over the exclusion of artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino from the team for Australia's 2026 Venice Biennale. This decision, made by the board in mid-February, faced criticism from The Australian regarding Sabsabi's earlier works, prompting outrage from over 600 artists and academics. In protest, notable individuals such as artist Lindy Lee and philanthropist Simon Mordant also resigned. Wesley Enoch, the deputy chair, will take on the role of interim chair. Adrian Collette, the CEO of Creative Australia, warned that Australia might not participate in the 2026 Biennale. Morgan claimed his resignation was not linked to the controversy. Sabsabi's work is set to be displayed in a group exhibition at Monash University Museum of Art on May 29.