Artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino discuss their project 'conference of one’s self' for the Australia Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale. Sabsabi explains how the work draws on the twelfth-century Sufi poem 'The Conference of the Birds' by Farīd al-Dīn ʿAṭṭār, mapping its seven spiritual valleys and adding an eighth level of 'wholeness and completeness'. He also reflects on his childhood in Lebanon, migration to Australia, and how his return to Lebanon in 2002 reconnected him with his Sufi lineage, which informs his artistic practice focused on memory, displacement, and social justice.
This project marks a historic moment as Sabsabi is the first artist to represent Australia in both its national pavilion and the Biennale's main International Art Exhibition. The conversation highlights how contemporary art can engage with spirituality and shared human experience, offering audiences a space for reflection. The work is presented as an invitation for viewers to pause and find their own journey, aiming to create an emotional and transformative encounter.