AMaGA Victoria’s Statement on the Venice Biennale 2026
The Australian Museums and Galleries Association (AMaGA) has issued a statement regarding Creative Australia’s decision to rescind its invitation to artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino to represent Australia at the 2026 Venice Biennale.
AMaGA Victoria fully supports this statement, which is shared below:
“The Australian Museums and Galleries Association (AMaGA) is extremely concerned by Creative Australia's decision to rescind their invitation to artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino to represent Australia at the 2026 Venice Biennale.
As the national advocacy body representing Australia's public museums and galleries, we affirm our commitment to supporting creative freedom and providing platforms for diverse voices and perspectives.
Our cultural institutions play a vital role in fostering dialogue, understanding and critical engagement with contemporary issues through artistic expression.
We recognise that art has the power to challenge, provoke discussion and contribute to important social discourse. The right of artists to express their views through their creative practice is fundamental to a democratic society and must be protected.
AMaGA supports our member institutions in their mission to be safe spaces for complex conversations and diverse viewpoints. We remain committed to upholding the principles of artistic freedom, cultural democracy and the right to creative expression.
We call on Creative Australia to reverse this decision and urge all stakeholders in the cultural sector to defend these essential freedoms, and to ensure that expert independent selection processes are upheld and respected.
AMaGA National Council, 17 February 2025”
The selection of Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino to represent Australia at the Venice Biennale reflects Australia’s longstanding tradition of arts funding that is arms-length from government and underpinned by independent peer review.
Creative Australia has an institutional mandate to uphold and defend artistic freedom, free speech, and cultural diversity. The decision to rescind the Venice Biennale invitation directly contradicts that mandate. We urge Creative Australia to reinstate the artistic team as Australia’s representatives at the 2026 Venice Biennale.
This situation has caused significant harm to the wellbeing of many people across the wider creative community, while also undermining sector confidence in Creative Australia’s institutional integrity.
AMaGA Victoria stands with its national body and other sector representatives in solidarity with Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino.
We encourage all who value free speech and creative freedom to join us in signing this open letter.