Oscar Murillo deported from Australia after destroying passport as political protest

Oscar Murillo was deported from Australia last month after deliberately destroying his passport mid-flight as a political statement. The London-based artist was traveling to participate in the Sydney Biennale when he tore up his travel document four hours before landing. His gallery David Zwirner confirmed the incident, which occurred as Murillo felt the biennale's agenda was undermined by conservative attitudes toward artistic expression. In a video on Judith Benhamou-Huet's blog, Murillo explained his dissatisfaction with merely intervening in exhibition spaces, calling such approaches too symbolic and lacking urgency. Weeks later at Art Basel Hong Kong, Murillo expanded his critique during a panel discussion, arguing that meaningful conversation requires dismantling colonial power structures. He specifically named curators Hans Ulrich Obrist, Cecilia Alemani, and Massimiliano Gioni as individuals maintaining the status quo. Murillo characterized Western influence as a 'salivating penis' ready to penetrate the world, referencing 500 years of colonial history. The artist's deportation prevented his participation in the Sydney Biennale, where he had developed a proposal with a curator.