MAV Stands with Khaled Sabsabi & Michael Dagostino in Defense of Artistic Freedom
Multicultural Arts Victoria (MAV) is deeply concerned by Creative Australia's decision to rescind Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino as Australian representatives to the upcoming Venice Biennale.
Michael Dagostino (left) and Khaled Sabsabi.
As a national arts organisation MAV is dedicated to the creative expression of artists from culturally diverse backgrounds. MAV unequivocally supports Sabsabi and Dagostino's right to engage in critical dialogue without political pressure or interference.
Work by multicultural artists, serves to reflect unique societal observations that are underrepresented in our public's discourse.
We call on Creative Australia to immediately reinstate Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino as the Australian artistic team for Venice 2026.
Khaled Sabsabi is a celebrated Lebanese-Australian artist from a refugee background who over a 35-year career has been dedicated to amplifying the voices of artists from Western Sydney, one of Australia's most diverse and multicultural areas with a strong history of artistic contribution to the Australian Arts landscape.
We stand with artists and their contributions to the contemporary Australian story, which includes reflections on their identities, history, and lived experiences.
As stated in the foreward of the government’s national cultural policy Revive:
“It is not the role of governments to create culture. Let’s leave that to the artists, makers and storytellers - the creative practitioners. The government’s role is to invest in our creative infrastructure.”
Now, more than ever, we urge Creative Australia to affirm its commitment to creative and multicultural communities.
— Multicultural Arts Victoria (MAV)
