The Malta Pavilion at maltabiennale.art was launched today at MUZA – the National Museum of Art, and will be welcoming visitors until Friday 31 May 2024.
The Minister for National Heritage, Arts and Local Government Owen Bonnici explained how the pavilion offers a unique view of our country, based on the different narratives shaped in our archipelago as a nation intimately connected to the Mediterranean sea that surrounds it and with the continuous cry in favor of peace. “The purpose of this pavilion, with the theme ‘DISCOVERIES AND STORIES’, is to reveal and communicate these narratives”, said Minister Bonnici. He went on to say that, “The pavilion also exhibits a number of works from the contemporary art collection that is in MUŻA and explained how the selected works, which follow the theme highlighted in the Pavilion, form part of a collection very bigger whose aim is to document the works, development and achievements of artists in international history.”
In his speech, the CEO of Heritage Malta Noel Zammit said that maltabiennale.art 2024 marks a new chapter in the history of Heritage Malta, which he hopes will continue to be written every two years from now on. He stressed that the Biennale initiative testifies to the agency’s ability to move with the times despite its obvious links with the past. This initiative is also an excellent way for Heritage Malta to continue to fulfill its mission on various levels – including by continuing to improve its international profile; increase the accessibility of its sites and museums through a much wider audience; and it spurs a profound dialogue that breathes new life into sites and museums and transforms their static nature into centers of lively discussion.
During the opening evening, maltabiennale.art curator, Katya Micallef, shared her definition of contemporary art; as each one of them asks about our surroundings, our lifestyle and our history, and contemporary artists do the same by using different art media and presenting it in a context that can be in ‘art gallery, on a specific site or online, by following contemporary trends in visual art.
Through different concepts, the artists Norbert Francis Attard (1951), Alexandra Aquilina (1987), Trevor Borg (1976) and Patrick J. Fenech (1957) present a sense of discovery towards our history while exposing visible narratives in contemporary Malta. The artists are: Kurt Arrigo (1969), Kris Micallef (1988), Debbie Caruana Dingli (1962), Jesmond Vassallo (1976), Andrew Diacono (1958), Ryan Falzon (1988), Alex Attard (1955), Nigel Baldacchino (1989), Teresa Sciberras (1979), Robert Zahra (1977), Margerite Pulè (1976), Charlie Cauchi (1980), Kane Calì (1983), Nico Conti (1992), Pierre Portelli (1961), Ruth Bianco (1955 ), Paul Scerri (1959) and Charles is-City Gatt (1944-2022).
The opening hours are from 10.00am to 6.00pm, and tickets can be purchased from: www.heritagemalta.mt/store as well as from the museums and Heritage Malta sites. For more information about the Malta Pavilion you can visit this page: https://maltabiennale.art/pavilion/findings-and-fantasies-real-and-imagined-narratives-inspired-by-the-identity-of -our-genes/ .
