Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 05 September, 2023: 2527 artists from 75 countries have answered the maltabiennale’s call for contemporary art proposals to form part of this international art festival’s very first edition. The international call closed last Friday at noon, and the selection process is now set to start imminently.
maltabiennale.art will be taking place in the coming spring, between March 11th and the end of May, throughout historic sites managed by Heritage Malta across Malta and Gozo.
The selection process will involve an international curatorial team, led by Artistic Director Sofia Baldi Pighi, and is expected to be finalised by October. Among the applicants, several artists of international fame were noted, setting the tone for what will be the main cultural event for Malta in 2024.
The main art exhibition will be spread throughout several Heritage Malta sites in Valletta, Birgu, Xagħra, and Ċittadella. The main theme, Baħar Abjad Imsaġar taż-Żebbuġ, is deeply Mediterranean, and explores four themes through art.
UNESCO has also granted its patronage to maltabiennale.art, an early recognition to this international art festival. UNESCO will also be observing the biennale as a case study in itself, analysing the relationship between world heritage sites such as the ones managed by Heritage Malta, and the contemporary art displayed within them, which is what will be presented in maltabiennale.art.
Mario Cutajar, maltabiennale.art’s President and Chairman of Heritage Malta, explained how the festival will go beyond art exhibitions by individual artists and national pavilions. Plans are in motion for parallel programmes, including educational ones for all ages, public events from cultural entities, workshops, and academic talks, as well as programmes organised by other entities in support of the biennale throughout its duration.
“The encouraging response we’ve had to our call for contemporary art proposals for maltabiennale.art reveals that the artist wants to speak up, and needs the space and support to discuss their surroundings through their art. We should be proud that Malta will be providing this space through maltabiennale.art,” says Mario Cutajar.
maltabiennale.art is organised by Heritage Malta through MUŻA, the Malta National Community Art Museum, in partnership with Arts Council Malta. The biennale is also presented in cooperation with the Ministries for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government, and Gozo, as well as with Visit Malta, Malta Libraries, and the Valletta Cultural Agency.
For more information, please visit: maltabiennale.art
