THE ARTS:

Brisbane-based conceptual artist Sue Ridge has attacked national arts body Creative Australia for “snubbing” her offer to fill the now-vacant role representing the nation at next year’s Venice Biennale.

Ms Ridge (main picture), who claims to have invented the excretionism art movement, said it was unacceptable for the Australian pavilion at the Venice event to sit empty if a replacement for controversial artist Khaled Sabsari was not found soon.

“Like many in the arts community I was shocked when Creative Australia withdrew its invitation to Khaled to be Australia’s representative at Venice in 2026,” said Ms Ridge who is a recognised pioneer in the use of extreta in art.

“I was the first, and I believe still the only, artist involved in the excretionism movement which incidentally I first called the movement movement, but that got too confusing,” she said.

Ms Ridge said as a child she set her sights on a career in the arts after her parents took her to the Queensland Art Gallery to view an exhibition of abstract works which her father described as “total shit”.

“I clearly recall him saying: ‘It looks like anyone can call themselves an artist just by putting shit on walls’,” she explained.

“That certainly inspired me and gave me the idea of making art with my own faeces. I’ve been doing it ever since.

“In my early years I was very much inspired by European modern artists. My early works were essentially homages to Bulgarian installation artist Christo and consisted of my own turds wrapped in toilet paper.

“The acquisition of Jackson Pollock’s Blue Poles by the Whitlam Government in the 1970s was another inspiration.

“After viewing the piece up close in Brisbane during its national tour, I began taking numerous packets of Laxettes and finally produced a large two-dimensional work entitled Poo Poles, but unfortunately no gallery was brave enough to hang it.”

Ms Ridge said she had offered to substitute for Khaled Sabsari at Venice but Creative Australia had rejected her submission.

“After snubbing my offer they even attached a threatening legal letter when they returned by express courier the parcel of works I sent them as samples for a possible Venice pavilion show,” she said.

“I had offered to display a series of small works – what I call ‘artwipes’ – which consist of single sheets of my used toilet paper framed and behind glass.

“I just don’t think Creative Australia is aware of how badly they have damaged our nation’s reputation by dismissing Khaled, nor how easily my presence at Venice, which would include live workshop sessions, could repair that damage,” she said. “Those shitheads can’t see how my voiding is far preferable to the void of an empty pavilion.”

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