Postponement of Stolon Press Flat Earth exhibition at MUMA

Statement from Monash University's Department of Fine Art

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.

Open letters

• 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) 

Analysing the intervention in MUMA's programming: 

1. Who's Afraid of Khaled Sabsabi? video of panel discussion convened by Memo

2. Risk Factor: Khaled Sabsabi and Monash University’s Crisis of Courage  by Quentin Sprague in Memo

3. Khaled Sabsabi speaks on the damage of being dumped from the Venice Biennale podcast interview by Nour Haydar

National and international news:

1. Khaled Sabsabi says Creative Australia decision was ‘kneejerk’ reaction that is ‘dismantling’ his career

2. Khaled Sabsabi Show “Indefinitely Postponed” After Artist Dropped from Venice Biennale

3. ‘Shouted into submission’: Monash Uni stops Sabsabi show 

4. Australian University Scraps Show Featuring Work of Lebanese-Born Artist 

5. Khaled Sabsabi show cancelled one month after sacking from Venice Biennale

6. Monash University’s postponement of exhibition featuring Khaled Sabsabi undermines artistic and academic freedom

7. Khaled Sabsabi Exhibition Pulled Amid Venice Biennale Controversy

8. University ‘postpones’ show by artist dropped by Creative Australia

9. Khaled Sabsabi twice cancelled – Monash University ‘indefinitely postpones’ exhibition

10. Monash University indefinitely postpones MUMA exhibition featuring Khaled Sabsabi's work

11. University condemned for postponing exhibition featuring works by Khaled Sabsabi