Australia 2026

Title: conference of one’s self
Commissioner: Creative Australia
Curator: Michael Dagostino
Exhibitor: Khaled Sabsabi

The presentation explores themes of spirituality, migration, and shared humanity, drawing on Sabsabi’s 35-year practice engaged with displacement and social justice.

The exhibition takes inspiration from the 12th-century Sufi allegory “The Conference of the Birds” by Farid al-Din Attar, which depicts a pilgrimage leading to the realisation that the divine exists within the seeker. The artwork translates this concept into an immersive, multisensory experience that examines the interconnectedness of the inner and outer self. It reflects on modern Australian history as a narrative linked to global migratory patterns and the diverse histories of Western Sydney.

In addition to the Pavilion presentation, Sabsabi features in the Biennale’s main exhibition, “In Minor Keys”. While located in different venues, both works emerge from the same conceptual framework and poetic inquiry into spiritual and mundane journeys. The practice incorporates a Tasawwuf (Sufi) sensibility, where fixed ideologies are rejected in favour of a meditative approach to collective emotions and empathy.