Khaled Sabsabi

Khaled Sabsabi (born 1965) is a Lebanese-born Australian artist based in Sydney, especially known for his video installations. His work, executed in many different media, often incorporates themes of Islam and Arab identity in Australia, along with exploration of spirituality and multiculturalism, and has been exhibited nationally and internationally since 1999. He came to wider public notice in February 2025 after being selected, along with curator Michael Dagostino, to represent Australia in the Australian pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, before the decision was rescinded by Creative Australia around a week later, causing a large backlash that was widely covered by news media. After after an independent external review of the decision, the pair were reinstated as Australia's Biennale artists on 2 July 2025.

Early life and education Khaled Sabsabi was born in 1965 in Tripoli, Lebanon. He left Tripoli with his family in late 1976, during the Lebanese Civil War, and has lived and worked in the western suburbs of Sydney since then. His parents ran a video shop and music business that specialised in Arabic music. and was exposed to and influenced by the activist Malcolm X.

He works across different media, from acrylic paint and oil sticks on paper to large immersive installations which include sound, scents, and video.

Venice Biennale On 7 February 2025, Creative Australia announced that Sabsabi had been selected, along with curator Michael Dagostino, to represent Australia in the Australian pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale. The choice was made by five independent experts who first shortlisted of six artists, before selecting the successful candidate. Sabsabi said that he was somewhat "shocked" to be chosen, because of "who I am", but was very honoured by the selection. Dagostino is a champion of western Sydney artists who was director of Campbelltown Arts Centre for 11 years before being appointed director of Chau Chak Wing Museum, part of the University of Sydney, in 2023. CEO Adrian Collette said Sabsabi's and Dagostino's work "reflects the diversity and plurality of Australia's rich culture, and will spark meaningful conversations with audiences around the world". which was republished on Facebook by the Australian Jewish Association the following day. The authors had apparently discovered Sabsabi's 2007 video installation You, featuring the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah,

In a late-night meeting on 13 February, the board of Creative Australia board decided to revoke the commission, in an unprecedented move. see below. However, Creative Australia staff were told by chair Robert Morgan and CEO Collette on 20 February 2025 that the withdrawal decision would not be revised. Sabsabi and Dagostini issued a statement on Instagram expressing their disappointment, saying that they hoped to be able to present their work on a global platform. Artist Ben Quilty has pointed out that at the time that You was created in 2007, Nasrallah was regarded as "a legitimate political leader in the Middle East", and Hezbollah was not designated a proscribed terrorist organisation in Australia until 2021. There had been no complaints received by the MCA, where it was exhibited.

After an independent external review of the decision by Blackhall & Pearl, the pair were reinstated on 2 July 2025. The following day, acting chair of Creative Australia, playwright Wesley Enoch, apologised for the "hurt and pain" caused by the rescindment.

After Biennale In October 2025 Creative Australia commissioned work from Sabsabi to be exhibited in the Samstag Museum of Art in Adelaide after the Venice Biennale in 2026.

Other activities and views Sabsabi has worked as a community arts worker in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. and Sabsabi is on the board of the Biennale of Sydney.

With regard to the Israeli-Hamas conflict, he has said that the violence and destruction in Gaza was "inhumane and unacceptable"; however, he supports peace "and the possibility of that dream". implying in a deliberately provocative way that Bush is grateful for the attack because it would give him an excuse to invade Afghanistan You (2007), which includes a recording of a speech by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon after the 2006 Lebanon War Naqshbandi Greenacre Engagement (2011), an engagement with Sufi religious practices Gates of Light (2014), a permanent installation in a park in Macarthur Heights, consisting of three pointed arches, or gates and illuminated at night, providing a basic sky map to various astronomical constellations Guerrilla (2007-2016), comprising 33 images based on photos taken by Sabsabi in 2006 documenting the immediate aftermath of the Israel–Hezbollah War

Exhibitions Sabsabi has exhibited in Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Lebanon, New Zealand, Poland, and Spain; these include New Media Fest, Soundlab, Beirut Arts Festival, the Monographic Sample of Art Average Colombia, and 3rd Digital Art Festival in Argentina and Italy. Group exhibitions 1999: Living Here Now – Art and Politics, Australian Perspecta 2010: Present Tense: An imagined grammar of portraiture in the digital age, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra 2012: Edge of Elsewhere (Sydney Festival) Campbelltown Arts Centre and Gallery 4A, Sydney 2018: Between Suns, Cement Fondu, Sydney, curated by Megan Monte

Solo exhibitions 2005: Ali Or 'Ali: Khaled Sabsabi, held simultaneously at the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre and the Campbelltown Arts Centre, curated by Lisa Havilah and Anna Bazzi Backhouse 2009: Integration, Assimilation and a fair go for ALL, Gallery 4A 2024: Khaled Sabsabi (major retrospective), The Lock-Up, Newcastle Imants Tillers, Mike Parr, Susan Norrie, Fiona Hall, Patricia Piccinini, Tracey Moffat, and John Davis, with permission given by the families. The letter was published in The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age, paid for by a number of artists, intellectuals, and art philanthropists. artist Lindy Lee, who was a board member a joint statement issued by the other five artistic teams shortlisted for Biennale on 14 February 14, calling the dismissal of Sabsabi and Agostine "antithetical to the goodwill and hard-fought artistic independence, freedom of speech and moral courage that is that the core of artist in Australia..." and calling for reinstatement revocation of support for the Australian Pavilion by former Venice Biennale commissioner Simon Mordant, and resignation from his position as Australia's international ambassador for the show saying :"the suggestion that he supports terrorism or racism or antisemitism is outrageous" statements by artists Kate Just and Nigel Helyer; by Fiona Winning, former director of programming at Sydney Opera House; Callum Morton, who represented Australia at Venice in 2007, said that he had "never seen the level of unity and anger as this" among artists.

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