The staff from Fine Art stands together to support the Flat Earth exhibition with Stolon Press, Elisa Taber and Khaled Sabsabi facilitated by our MUMA colleagues. In the Fine Art department, we value and give space to creative practices and intellectual inquiry that engage complex and sometimes challenging cultural issues reflecting diverse experiences, subjectivities and political perspectives. As artists, curators and art historians, we see the art school as an open space of creative and cultural expression, where ideas and positions can be contested and challenged with rigour and respect. We greatly value our collaborations with MUMA as an intrinsic part of the art school community and look forward to the privilege of working with some of the most important diasporic voices and senior practitioners of contemporary Australian art when the exhibition is rescheduled. The art school is ready and able to engage and collaborate with communities, able to help turn this exhibition postponement into an important opportunity for learning, discussion and deepening understanding.
28 Nov 2024: Monash University Museum of Art announced their 2025 program, including Stolon Press: Flat earth.
7 Feb 2025: Creative Australia announced Khaled Sabsabi to represent Australia at the Venice Biennale.
13 Feb 2025: Creative Australia announced they were rescinding the selection to avoid "a prolonged and divisive debate" that would "pose unacceptable risk to public support for Australia’s artistic community."
After weeks of divisive debate...
19 Mar 2025: Monash University "indefinitely postpones" the Stolon Press exhibition (see news below for links). Once again, the decision was motivated by risk avoidance, but so far the only University statement that has been provided is:
"Through consultation with our communities we have identified there is a need for the museum to deepen its collaboration and engagement on this exhibition. Postponing the event will allow this important work to be undertaken."
Monash University students and alumni open letter (for students and alumni)
Letter to Monash University Management (for staff, PhD students, and others who have a Monash email)
Who's Afraid of Khaled Sabsabi? video of panel discussion convened by Memo
Risk Factor: Khaled Sabsabi and Monash University’s Crisis of Courage by Quentin Sprague in Memo
Khaled Sabsabi speaks on the damage of being dumped from the Venice Biennale podcast interview by Nour Haydar
Khaled Sabsabi Show “Indefinitely Postponed” After Artist Dropped from Venice Biennale
Australian University Scraps Show Featuring Work of Lebanese-Born Artist
Khaled Sabsabi show cancelled one month after sacking from Venice Biennale
Khaled Sabsabi Exhibition Pulled Amid Venice Biennale Controversy
University ‘postpones’ show by artist dropped by Creative Australia
Khaled Sabsabi twice cancelled – Monash University ‘indefinitely postpones’ exhibition
Monash University indefinitely postpones MUMA exhibition featuring Khaled Sabsabi's work
University condemned for postponing exhibition featuring works by Khaled Sabsabi