Sending Sabsabi to Venice is a decision that is ‘capable of being defended’

I teach ethical leadership for a living. Which is why the controversy surrounding Creative Australia’s selection of Khaled Sabsabi and Michael Dagostino to attend the 2026 Venice Biennale initially caught my attention. Then, continued to hold that attention as the Creative Australia board rescinded its decision and then, having commissioned a report into its decision-making process, changed their minds again.

Everyone makes mistakes. What matters is how you recover from error.

This article is about two things. Firstly, whether Creative Australia made a mistake in how or what it decided about who would represent Australia in Venice. Secondly, if the Creative Australia board did err, how is it recovering from that error?

The review of the governance and decision-making process that Creative Australia commissioned in the wake of the controversy found flaws in the organisation’s processes:

"There was… a series of missteps, assumptions and missed opportunities that meant neither the leadership of Creative Australia, nor the Board, were well placed to respond to, and manage in a considered way, any criticism or controversy that might emerge in relation to the selection decision," reads the key findings of the review (page six).