Liz Ann Macgregor and Khaled Sabsasi:“Knowing the artist as I do,I had every confidence ...”

How art was ransacked by ineptitude,political pandering and confected outrage

In dumping a fine artist such as Khaled Sabsabi from the Venice Biennale,Creative Australia has undermined the public’s faith in the capacity of art to open minds.

  • Liz Ann Macgregor

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Attracting millions of tourists each year,Venice has long battled pickpockets .

Beware:Europe’s worst spots for pickpockets named

Locals in Rome,Venice,Barcelona and Paris reveal the train lines and tourist attractions where petty crime is rife.

  • Amanda Hyde
Artist Khaled Sabsabi (right) and curator Michael Dagostino have been dropped as Australia’s entrant to the 2026 Venice Biennale to avoid “divisive debate”.

Venice Biennale backflip could turn pride into embarrassment

Australia triumphed at the world’s most high-profile art event last year,but a controversy over Creative Australia’s choice of representatives threatens the nation’s participation in 2026.

  • The Herald's View
As one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations,Venice is a hotbed for pickpockets.

On holiday in Italy,I caught a pickpocket red-handed

Italian cities have a major problem with petty crime – as I discovered when strolling the crowded streets of Venice recently.

  • Will Hide
The Rio della Misericordia canal is in the sestiere of Cannaregio.

In this city of overpriced,mediocre food,I found where to eat

There may be a reason why your Venetian dining experience is not what it could be.

  • Natasha Bazika
History worth reviving:the tram on Parramatta Road,Leichhardt,in 1946 and Venice’s famed bell tower,the Campanile of St Mark,which collapsed in 1902 but was rebuilt by 1912.

Sydney’s surprise resemblance to Venice has a lesson for us all

Venice’s brutal modernisers did not want to rebuild their collapsed bell tower. The city persevered,as should Sydney with its long-lost people movers,the trams.

  • Antone Martinho-Truswell
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On a trip to Venice I discovered the magic of the city,but also the tragedy it faces

Steadily rising water levels have scientists predicting that San Marco will be permanently underwater and uninhabitable by as early as 2100.

  • Tess Woods
Members of Back to Back Theatre accept the prestigious Golden Lion for lifetime achievement.

This Australian group revolutionised theatre. Now the world has noticed

This regional Australian theatre has received one of the world’s biggest arts prizes. This is what makes them so remarkable.

  • Steve Dow
A scene from the Grand Canal,Peggy Guggenheim on the roof top of her house

Why a trip to Venice must include a visit to this modern museum

There are other ways to sample the city’s pleasures than simply crowding into its most famous locations.

  • Tim Richards
A woman takes a photo as an Italian soldier patrols the Israeli national pavilion at the Biennale contemporary art fair in Venice on Tuesday.

Israeli artist shuts down Biennale show,urging ceasefire

The Israeli government paid about half the costs of Israel’s pavilion at Venice and was not informed in advance about the protest.

  • Alex Marshall