Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1517369
13 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 13 MARCH 2024 NEWS AS the grand unveiling of maltabi- ennale.art to the public approach- es, the cultural fervour kicked off in earnest with a special Artistic Director's preview tour. Led by Artistic Director, Sofia Baldi Pighi, and President of mal- tabiennale.art and Chairman of Heritage Malta, Mario Cutajar, this curated journey welcomed guests, both local and internation- al, to the heart of maltabiennale. art's main sites. With 20 international journalists in tow, who will be showcasing this momentous cultural event in Malta to the world, the tour in- troduced the event's themes, the heritage sites hosting the instal- lations, the brilliant artists and their creations, and encapsulated the spirit of this extensive artistic celebration which will run until May 31, 2024. Attendees were also treated to exclusive live per- formances from various artists, further bringing the biennale's themes and discussions to life in an immersive experience. "It's a tremendous honour to host such distinguished guests, many of whom are visionary art- ists and leading cultural figures in their own right, to this momen- tous occasion. The preparation of this preview tour was meticulous, designed to take our guests on a whirlwind journey, where each stop adds more meaning and context to the biennale's central theme, white sea olive groves. The preview tour set the tone and spirit for the dialogues and conversations we aim to inspire among our audiences regarding the role of contemporary art in shedding new light on our her- itage," explains Artist Director Sofia Baldi Pighi, an independent Italian curator who since 2017 has been focusing on the en- counter between art, historical and landscape heritage through contemporary art exhibitions, public programs and art therapy workshops for public and private institutions. Day one of the preview tour centred on the diverse biennale sites in Valletta. The morning commenced with a visit to the Grand Master's Palace hosting compelling exhibitions themed around "The Matri-archive of the Mediterranean," before moving on to tours of the installations at the Main Guard and the National Library. In the afternoon, the tour explored MUŻA, the National Museum of Archaeology, Tal-Pi- lar church, Auberge d'Aragon, and Underground Valletta, where additional main pavilion themes were further re- vealed. The day culminated with the official maltabiennale.art pre-party at Fort St Elmo, featur- ing additional artworks contribut- ing to the rich tapestry of the na- tional and thematic pavilions. "It's been a pleasure getting to know our guests, sharing the cre- ativity and incredible talent that maltabiennale.art has to offer. The generosity of feedback we've re- ceived thus far is truly heartening, and it's encouraging to see that the hard work by our team and talented artists is already spark- ing meaningful conversations on challenging perspectives within the Mediterranean. A heartfelt thank you to all our guests for join- ing us on this preview journey. We look forward to hosting more in- ternational visitors, inviting them to explore our shores, experience our unique heritage sites, and im- merse themselves in the visionary artwork throughout the biennale," Mario Cutajar, President of malta- biennale.art, said. The focus now shifts to the offi- cial opening ceremony of maltabi- ennale.art. This significant event extends a warm invitation to spe- cial guests and artists, marking the inauguration of this first-ever biennale in Malta. His Excellency, the President of Malta, Dr. George Vella, will grace the ceremony in the Throne Room of the Grand- master's Palace in Valletta on March 12, following which, the cultural feast will open its arms to the public, presenting an oppor- tunity to explore a diverse range of emotionally enriching and thought-provoking contemporary artworks scattered across more than 20 heritage sites throughout Malta and Gozo. maltabiennale.art is a Heritage Malta initiative through MUŻA, the Malta National Community Art Museum, in partnership with Arts Council Malta. maltabi- ennale.art 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, MCAST, Festivals Malta, Valletta Cultur- al Agency and Spazju Kreattiv. With the participation of Malta School of Art, AUM, ŻfinMalta, KorMalta, Teatru Manoel, Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, Fran- co La Cecla, IULM University, Milan, Department of Humani- ties Studies, Faculty of Arts and Tourism, Underwater Depart- ment Heritage Malta, Archaeolog- ical Department Heritage Malta and Maritime Museum Heritage Malta. Selected guests and international press enjoy whirlwind preview tour of maltabiennale.art The tour introduced the event's themes, the heritage sites hosting the installations, the artists and their creations