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Khaled Sabsabi presents dual projects at 61st Venice Biennale, drawing on Sufi traditions

exhibition · 2026-04-22

Khaled Sabsabi, an artist, and Michael Dagostino, a curator, engaged in a discussion about their project 'conference of one's self' for the Australia Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale. This conversation took place on March 8, 2026, at Parramatta Town Hall, situated on unceded Dharug lands, focusing on the intersection of contemporary art and spirituality. Sabsabi draws inspiration from Farīd al-Dīn ʿAṭṭār's twelfth-century Sufi poem 'The Conference of the Birds,' which introduces an eighth spiritual valley. His experiences, including his childhood during the Lebanese Civil War and his migration to Western Sydney, shape his artistic approach. He will showcase his work in both the Australia Pavilion and the 'In Minor Keys' exhibition at the Biennale, which is scheduled from May 9 to November 22, 2026.

Key facts

  • Khaled Sabsabi is presenting work in both the Australia Pavilion and the International Art Exhibition at the 61st Venice Biennale
  • The project 'conference of one's self' draws on the twelfth-century Sufi poem 'The Conference of the Birds' by Farīd al-Dīn ʿAṭṭār
  • Sabsabi adds an eighth spiritual level of 'wholeness and completeness' to the poem's traditional seven valleys
  • The conversation was recorded on March 8, 2026 at Parramatta Town Hall in Western Sydney
  • Sabsabi's childhood during the Lebanese Civil War and migration to Australia inform his artistic practice
  • The artist's 2002 return to Lebanon reconnected him with his Sufi spiritual lineage
  • Creative Australia serves as commissioner for the Australia Pavilion presentation
  • The Biennale's International Art Exhibition 'In Minor Keys' is curated by Koyo Kouoh

Entities

Artists

  • Khaled Sabsabi
  • Michael Dagostino
  • Farīd al-Dīn ʿAṭṭār
  • Koyo Kouoh

Institutions

  • Creative Australia
  • UNSW Sydney
  • Australia Pavilion
  • Venice Biennale
  • La Biennale di Venezia
  • International Art Exhibition
  • The Gathering
  • Dharug peoples

Locations

  • Parramatta Town Hall
  • Western Sydney
  • Australia
  • Venice
  • Italy
  • Lebanon

Sources