The Western Sydney artist in the middle of a national political storm, Khaled Sabsabi, is familiar to local art lovers who frequent the Campbelltown arts centre.
The controversy has been sparked by Creative Australia rescinding its decision to choose Sabsabi to represent Australia at the prestigious 2026 Venice Biennale, along with another name familiar in the Campbelltown arts circles, curator Michael Dagostino, a long time director of the Campbelltown arts centre.
The decision to drop Sabsabi came after revelations in federal parliament of his earlier works on Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasralla, plus a video on 9/11 and then US president George W Bush titled, Thank you very much.
Sabsabi was born in Lebanon and migrated to Australia as a young boy with his family.
As for his Campbelltown connection, in 2014, Khaled Sabsabi was named winner of the Fisher’s Ghost $20,000 open prize with his work Wonderland, a video representation of the Western Sydney Wanderers fans, the Red & Black Bloc, in action during a game.
His winning installation, two flat television screens, played over and over again the fans’ routines in urging their team on to greater heights.
Sabsabi was also enlisted as a judge of the Fisher’s Ghost art prize at various times during Mr Dagostino’s tenure as director of the Campbelltown arts centre.
Also, in 2015, Sabsabi, who worked at the time as the community and cultural engagement officer at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, was awarded the inaugural $50,000 Western Sydney Arts Fellowship, created by then state Liberal Government.
Our picture from 2015 (above) shows the deputy premier and minister for the arts Troy Grant, left, with Khaled Sabsabi and Liverpool mayor Ned Mannoun at the announcement of the winner of the fellowship.
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The operators of the Campbelltown service station that was in the news a couple of weeks ago after it had been the target of malicious damage, including racist graffiti, are ever so grateful of the support of locals since then
We popped down to Lindesay Street to have a chat – and fill up – and the fellow behind the register had a grin as big as Texas.
And no wonder, outside motorists were queueing up to buy petrol from him in a show of solidarity.
“You gotta love Campbelltown,’’ he said.
“I really appreciate this kind of support and loyalty from the people of your own town.’’
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One of two major eyesores in our area has gone now that work has started on the redevelopment of the Brands on Sale site along Queen Street, near Tim’s Garden Centre.
The Panjo building along Campbelltown Road is the second eyesore, and I’m afraid we may be stuck with it a little longer.
A For Sale hangs out the front of the ugly green monstrosity located, unfortunately, next to one of our better business addresses, the Hermitage motel and fine dining restaurant.
What we hear from our spies close to the action is that the asking price for Panjo is close to twice what it should be and it is unlikely a buyer will be found any time soon.
The good news is that there is some interest in buying it, but not at the current price point.
It’s a real shame there are no laws for this kind of thing, to force owners to either clean up the site or sell it to someone who will be able to develop it into something we call be proud of.
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Leaving politics has been good for former Camden MP Peter Sidgreaves.
Macarthur Chatter bumped into him at St Patrick’s College Campbelltown a couple of weeks ago and noted he looked leaner, and happier, than when he was in politics.
He told me he had returned to his old job in the IT industry.
After having a bit of a chat with Peter, I got the feeling wild horses wouldn’t drag him back into the Macquarie Street bear pit.
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At a recent luncheon in the Campbelltown CBD, I got talking to former Camden MP and Mayor Geoff Corrigan, who has many claims to fame, but none as big as being the owner of a horse that won the race that stops a nation.
In 2019, Vow and Declare romped home to win that year’s Melbourne Cup, and Geoff and better half Sue (pictured at right), along with the minority partners, celebrated like it was 1999.
As it did everyone back home in Camden and most of the Macarthur region, claiming Vow and Declare as its own.
Following that famous afternoon, injuries and the onset of the pandemic collided to make the next few years rather challenging for the horse – and the owners, who obviously believed a second victory was possible.
But as it turned out it wasn’t to be.
I asked Geoff what’s happened to the champion chestnut gelding, and he told me that it has indeed retired from racing.
“It’s doing a bit of equestrian work with an Olympian down in Victoria, though,’’ Geoff said.
