Remi addresses the snap action at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) protesting the censoring of Palestinians flags on an artwork - part of the Te Paepae Aora’i – Where the Gods Cannot be Fooled exhibition.
Remi's Speech
Free expression is at the heart of artistic practice, yet we continue to see institutions suppress works that challenge dominant narratives. Whether through overt censorship or institutional cowardice, these acts undermine the role of art as a space for critical engagement. The recent covering up of the Palestinian flag at the NGA and the silencing of pro-Palestinian voices at the ANU school of art and design are stark reminders of this ongoing repression. These actions reflect a broader pattern in which institutions claim to support free speech and artistic expression, until that expression disrupts power.
Censorship is not just the removal of an artwork, it is a deliberate attempt to dictate what can and cannot be said, seen, and remembered. Art that engages with Palestine is a necessary part of the global conversation on justice, history, and colonial violence. When institutions erase these voices, they are complicit in the very systems of oppression that artists seek to challenge. The covering up of the Palestinian flag at the NGA and the censorship of Khaled Sabsabi’s work are acts of ideological warfare, meant to pacify resistance and erase the reality of occupation and struggle.
But we refuse to be complicit. The SOAD Collective will be running a photo action this Wednesday at 1:15pm in the Shababeek memorial gallery (fka the project space) in solidarity with artist Khaled Sabsabi, ensuring that the NGA’s role in this suppression is also exposed. We recognise that this is not just about one artist or one institution, it is about the broader system that seeks to sanitize art and suppress dissent. We refuse to accept the erasure of political expression in the arts. The silencing of Palestinian solidarity in cultural spaces must be confronted, and we call on fellow artists, students, and community members to stand with us. Free speech must extend beyond the comfortable and the apolitical. Artists have always been at the forefront of speaking truth to power, and we will not be silenced.
Remi, ANU School of Art and Design student
Link to Guardian article: www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/21/national-g...
Remi addresses the snap action at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) protesting the censoring of Palestinians flags on an artwork - part of the Te Paepae Aora’i – Where the Gods Cannot be Fooled exhibition.
Remi's Speech
Free expression is at the heart of artistic practice, yet we continue to see institutions suppress works that challenge dominant narratives. Whether through overt censorship or institutional cowardice, these acts undermine the role of art as a space for critical engagement. The recent covering up of the Palestinian flag at the NGA and the silencing of pro-Palestinian voices at the ANU school of art and design are stark reminders of this ongoing repression. These actions reflect a broader pattern in which institutions claim to support free speech and artistic expression, until that expression disrupts power.
Censorship is not just the removal of an artwork, it is a deliberate attempt to dictate what can and cannot be said, seen, and remembered. Art that engages with Palestine is a necessary part of the global conversation on justice, history, and colonial violence. When institutions erase these voices, they are complicit in the very systems of oppression that artists seek to challenge. The covering up of the Palestinian flag at the NGA and the censorship of Khaled Sabsabi’s work are acts of ideological warfare, meant to pacify resistance and erase the reality of occupation and struggle.
But we refuse to be complicit. The SOAD Collective will be running a photo action this Wednesday at 1:15pm in the Shababeek memorial gallery (fka the project space) in solidarity with artist Khaled Sabsabi, ensuring that the NGA’s role in this suppression is also exposed. We recognise that this is not just about one artist or one institution, it is about the broader system that seeks to sanitize art and suppress dissent. We refuse to accept the erasure of political expression in the arts. The silencing of Palestinian solidarity in cultural spaces must be confronted, and we call on fellow artists, students, and community members to stand with us. Free speech must extend beyond the comfortable and the apolitical. Artists have always been at the forefront of speaking truth to power, and we will not be silenced.
Remi, ANU School of Art and Design student
Link to Guardian article: www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/21/national-g...