The winners of the 2025 Asia Pacific Arts Awards were to have been announced on March 3 at a ceremony at Arts Centre Melbourne, as part of the Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts.
Creative Australia told 30 finalists on Tuesday morning the event had been postponed.
"While we regret any inconvenience this may cause, this decision has been made to support the wellbeing of all involved, as we feel it is important to take a pause during this time," its message to finalists said.
It comes as Creative Australia bosses, including chief executive Adrian Collette, are expected to front a Senate estimates hearing Tuesday night, to answer questions about the selection body's Venice Biennale about-face.
Lebanon-born artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino had been chosen for the 2026 Biennale, until early works of art by Sabsabi were raised in parliamentary question time on February 13.
The artworks, which were almost two decades old, featured images of the 9/11 attacks on the US, and the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Creative Australia called a snap board meeting following question time and by 9.30pm that night, it had rescinded its invitation to Sabsabi and Dagostino.
Immediately after question time, arts minister Tony Burke called Mr Collette to discuss the selection, but Mr Burke denies any political interference.
Also on Tuesday, a group of 14 curators who have previously been involved in Australia's showing at the Biennale issued an open letter requesting Sabsabi and Dagostino's reinstatement.
"We are stunned that in these fraught times, the Creative Australia Board and CEO took no time to defend their decision against uninformed comments on Sabsabi's early works by those who had not even seen them," the letter reads.
It follows another open letter calling for reinstatement, issued by artists who have previously represented Australia at the prestigious Biennale.
They include some of the biggest names in Australian contemporary art, such as Mike Parr, Imants Tillers, Patricia Piccinini, Ricky Swallow, Shaun Gladwell, Callum Morton and Tracey Moffatt.
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