A panel discussion exploring practical ways in which artists and historians have collaborated on projects using archives, libraries and other historical research.
When: Thursday 14 May, 6 pm – 7 pm (AEDT)
Where: Nelson Meers Foundation Auditorium, Chau Chak Wing Museum
Cost: $5 General Admission
Artists can bring a new dynamic and creative approach to understanding historical enquiry. Historians, archivists and librarians can work with artists to find interesting new approaches to historical interpretation and to guide artists through the complexities of historical investigation.
This panel discussion co-presented with the Chau Chak Wing Museum, the Powerful Stories Network and the Discipline of History at the University of Sydney as part of the Biennale of Sydney 2026 program, will bring together historians and artists who have successfully explored historical legacies in fruitful collaboration and will explore what art can offer us in creative histories.
The discussion will be moderated by Professor Michael McDonnell, Chair of History, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The University of Sydney.
Panellists:
Dr Lucia Sorbera is Associate Professor in Arab, Islamic and Middle East Studies at the University of Sydney, where she serves as Chair of the Discipline of Arabic Language and Cultures. Her research explores colonial and postcolonial histories of West Asia and North Africa, with a focus on women, gender, and sexuality. She is the author of Biography of a Revolution: The Feminist Roots of Human Rights in Egypt (University of California Press, 2025), and co-editor of Sex and Desire in Muslim Cultures (Bloomsbury, 2021) and Contending Legitimacy in World Politics (Taylor & Francis, 2018). Dr Sorbera is also active in public scholarship, publishing, and curatorial practices, and regularly speaks at literary and film festivals
Alia Ardon is an emerging filmmaker and researcher with a deep interest in the plurality of historical narratives and ecological imperialism. She was a research resident at the Bouanani Archives in Rabat, where she led the beginning of her research on ecological imperialism, and the history of the industrialisation of gum trees in Morocco. Her film in development, ‘Kalitus’, which investigates the journey of eucalyptus to Morocco from so-called Australia, was awarded first prize at the USU Creative Awards 2024, and her Honours thesis on the topic was awarded the University Medal at the University of Sydney in 2026.
Among her notable works are her collaboration as a co-director on the film ‘Border Farce’ (2023) with Safdar Ahmed, commissioned by documenta-fifteen, and as the collaborating filmmaker for Deborah Kelly’s CREATION project. Her work has been shown in e-flux (New York City), MONAFOMA (Launceston), documenta-fifteen (Kassel), Think Tanger (Tanger), ZargaLab and Qissassna Festival (Marrakech), the Prague Quadrennial (Prague), and the State Library of NSW, Verge Gallery, Firstdraft, PACT Centre for Emerging Artists, and the SWANA Film Festival on Gadi Country, among others.
Ghasan Saaid is a Sydney‑based contemporary visual artist whose practice spans diverse artforms, including experimental visual media, mixed‑media works and concept‑driven installations. His work engages with broad social and emotional terrains such as identity, displacement and belonging within a wider exploration of human experience, memory and connection.
An award‑winning artist with exhibitions in Australia and internationally, Ghasan is recognised for a layered visual language that invites reflection and dialogue. As both an artist and curator, he develops collaborative projects that amplify diverse perspectives and foster cultural exchange.
Alongside his studio and curatorial practice, Ghasan contributes to community arts through his role at SSI, supporting creative programs for people from refugee and migrant backgrounds. He holds a Master’s in Studio Arts from the University of Sydney, complemented by further studies in arts and community services.
