Creative Australia’s decision to reinstate artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino for the 2026 Venice Biennale (after initially rescinding their selection) has led to significant doubts about trust and accountability in the organisation’s leadership.
The external governance review by Blackhall & Pearl found “multiple oversights, misunderstandings, missteps and assumptions” (page 8 of the review), contributing to Creative Australia’s decision to originally rescind the artists’ commission following intense public and political pressure.
And while the review acknowledged no single person was at fault, it underscored significant governance shortcomings, including a lack of appropriate risk and crisis management strategies
The organisation’s leadership has recognised the severity of these failures, with Creative Australia’s CEO Adrian Collette stating in his announcement email:
“…we are committed to rebuilding trust in our processes for the commissioning of the Venice Biennale. ”
However, the broader implications for Indigenous initiatives remain a significant concern.
And the Blackhall & Pearl review specifically pointed out that Creative Australia’s internal processes were stretched and not adequately prepared, noting a lack of clarity about roles and responsibilities, particularly in regard to managing sensitive and potentially controversial decisions.
So as this indicates unresolved tensions within Creative Australia’s governance / decision-making, questions remain over how effectively the organisation can handle culturally sensitive initiatives, particularly those involving Indigenous representation.
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