Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1544021
2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 MARCH 2026 THEATRE Malta Pavilion opens at Muża for Malta Biennale 2026 HERITAGE Malta has official- ly launched the Malta Pavilion for the Malta Biennale 2026 at MUŻA – The National Com- munity Art Museum in Val- letta, presenting a new exhibi- tion of contemporary works by five Maltese artists exploring thresholds between stability and disruption. Titled Wonderland: Kaos Kon- temporanju, the Malta Pavil- ion draws inspiration from the 19th-century classic Alice's Ad- ventures in Wonderland, presenting an immersive artistic journey through the subtle forms of dis- order shaping modern life. Through a series of installa- tions, the pavilion invites vis- itors to question how techno- logical progress, globalisation, and systems of control coexist with ecological fragility, social imbalance, and the accelerating rhythms of modern existence. Malta's position as a cultural crossroads offers a fitting lens for these themes. In KHAOS: Thresholds of the Anthropocene, Victor Agius presents the Anthropocene as a moment of profound uncertain- ty. Fragmented materials hover between ruin and preservation, presenting chaos not only as de- struction but as openness and possibility, challenging ideas of control and permanence. A quiet yet unsettling en- counter unfolds in Through the Looking Glass by Ġulja Holland. Mirrored glass panels position humans and gorillas face to face, raising a disquieting question: who is observing whom? What initially appears serene gradu- ally reveals ethical tensions sur- rounding conservation, extinc- tion and spectatorship. In Our City: A Map of an Im- aginary Nowhere, Roderick Camilleri reimagines Valletta as a shifting terrain shaped by heritage, memory and erasure. Through reliefs, etched surfaces and archival fragments, the city emerges as both monumental and vulnerable, suspended be- tween preservation and disap- pearance. Slowness becomes an act of resistance in FARO: Landscape Twice Refracted, where Vince Briffa constructs large, labour- intensive imagined landscapes formed from countless gestures and marks. The lighthouse's re- volving beam serves as a meta- phor for cycles of illumination and blindness, suggesting that in an age of constant visibility, un- derstanding does not necessarily follow. Finally, The Triumph of Time by Pierre Portelli examines mor- tality, ageing and surveillance. Symbolic objects, sculptural forms and illuminated image- ry reveal how both human and technological bodies are meas- ured, regulated and exposed, while materials marked by wear remind viewers that perma- nence remains an illusion. During the official launch, Minister for Culture, Lands and Local Government, Owen Bon- nici, remarked that: "The Malta Biennale 2026 at MUŻA clearly demonstrates how much Malta is continuing to invest in cul- ture and contemporary art. This edition builds on the success of the first Biennale and strength- ens our country's position as a vibrant space for cultural dia- logue. Over 11 weeks, more than 130 artists from 43 countries are meeting to share creativity, ideas and perspectives that will continue to place Malta on the international artistic map." The President of Malta Bi- ennale 2026 and Chairman of Heritage Malta, Mario Cuta- jar, commented: "MUŻA is the home of the Biennale. The Malta Biennale is a living link between generations and makes Heritage Malta's museums and sites more accessible and active in the so- ciety we live in. MUŻA is one of the museums that are trans- forming themselves to achieve these goals. Over the past year, MUŻA has updated its perma- nent exhibition and has become a great experience, simultane- ously strengthening the legacy of the Malta Biennale." Heritage Malta's Chief Execu- tive Officer, Noel Zammit, stat- ed that: "Our heritage is a living force. It is not bound to muse- ums or prehistoric structures. It is in the spaces where we live, in our communities, in the mem- ories we cherish, and in the im- agination that drives us forward. This pavilion also conveys this message. It challenges us to look beyond the obvious, to accept complexity, and to understand that our future depends on our ability to move with the times. It invites visitors to slow down, observe carefully, and reflect on the balance between progress and preservation." The Malta Pavilion forms part of the wider Malta Biennale 2026, an international contem- porary art platform featuring 8 national pavilions, 17 thematic pavilions, and an international exhibition. Organised by Her- itage Malta under the patron- age of the President of Malta and UNESCO, and artistically directed by Rosa Martínez, the Biennale brings together various international artists exhibiting across 11 Heritage Malta muse- ums and historic sites in Vallet- ta, Vittoriosa, and Victoria and Xagħra in Gozo. The Malta Biennale 2026 runs until 29th May. Tickets and full details about the exhibitions, artists, pavilions and events can be accessed on maltabien- nale.art.