70 applications received for satellite events to be held during the Malta Biennale 2026
The Call for Satellite Events to form part of the wider Malta Biennale 2026 programme attracted 70 applications from across 22 countries around the world. This is the second in a series of three international calls to come to a close, with an encouraging number of applications received from Malta. The Malta Biennale will be held from March till May next year. The satellite events will not form an integral part of the Malta Biennale but will be organised to coincide with the international contemporary art platform which takes place across historical sites and museums managed by Heritage Malta.
The Call for Satellite Events is the second call to have been met with a resounding response. The first to close was the call for artists to submit contemporary art proposals to participate directly in the Biennale. That call, which closed at the end of June, attracted more than 3,200 proposals, which demonstrated an increase of almost 30% in comparison to the proposals received for the first edition. At present, the curatorial process of selection to inform the main exhibitions of the Malta Biennale 2026 is steadily underway. The selection process for Satellite Events has also commenced.
“The very strong response and interest we’re receiving for each of the calls augurs incredibly well for the second edition of the Malta Biennale. This encourages us further so that, through the Malta Biennale, which is held across several museums and historical sites managed by Heritage Malta, we can provide a value-added experience to all visitors by meeting the goals and objectives set out for such initiatives; firstly for Maltese and Gozitan audiences, but also for all those visiting our islands during the Malta Biennale 2026,” said Mario Cutajar, President of the Malta Biennale 2026 and Chairman of Heritage Malta.
Mr Cutajar added that the first edition of the Biennale, held last year, was already a huge success, so much so that it placed Malta on the global calendar of contemporary art, creating greater awareness of our cultural heritage whilst also positively impacting art and artists in Malta. “The second edition must strengthen and build upon what we started, so that we can fortify the foundations for future editions of the Malta Biennale which, despite being one of some 350 biennials organised around the world, was firmly established from its onset.”
The Call for Pavilions will close in the coming weeks; this will be the last international call for participation on this international art platform, which is being organised under the distinguished patronage of Her Excellency the President of Malta.
The Malta Biennale is a Heritage Malta initiative, organised in partnership with Arts Council Malta and in collaboration with Visit Malta, the Ministry of Culture, Lands and Local Government, and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism. The second edition of the Malta Biennale will take place from March 11 to May 29, 2026, in Valletta, Birgu, Xagħra and Gozo’s Ċittadella.
Verżjoni bil-Malti
70 applikazzjoni għal attivitajiet artistiċi waqt il-Malta Biennale 2026
Fil-jiem li għaddew għalqet it-tieni sejħa f’sensiela ta’ tliet sejħiet għall-parteċipazzjoni fil-Malta Biennale 2026. Is-sejħa li għadha kemm għalqet hija dik għal attivitajiet artistiċi għal waqt it-tieni edizzjoni tal-Malta Biennale li se tkun qed tittella’ bejn Marzu u Mejju tas-sena d-dieħla. Kien hemm 70 applikazzjoni għal dawn l-attivitajiet artistiċi li ddaħħlu minn 22 pajjiż differenti minn madwar id-dinja, fosthom numru inkoraġġanti minn Malta stess. Dawn l-attivitajiet artistiċi ma jkunux parti integrali mill-Malta Biennale imma jsiru biex jaħbtu miegħu u jkunu abbinati ma’ din il-pjattaforma internazzjonali tal-arti kontemporanja li tittella’ fis-siti storiċi Maltin immexxija minn Heritage Malta.
Din hija t-tieni sejħa li għalqet u li t-tweġiba għaliha kienet b’saħħitha ħafna. L-ewwel sejħa li għalqet kienet dik għal proposti artistiċi ta’ arti kontemporanja biex jipparteċipaw direttament fil-biennale. Għal dik is-sejħa, li għalqet fi tmiem Ġunju, daħlu iktar minn 3200 proposta artistika, jiġifieri żieda ta’ kważi 30% fuq l-applikazzjonijiet għall-ewwel edizzjoni. Bħalissa għaddej b’ritmu sod il-proċess kuratorjali ta’ għażla ta’ dawn il-proposti biex tieħu suritha l-wirja ewlenija tal-Malta Biennale 2026. Minn issa beda wkoll il-proċess ta’ għażla għall-attivitajiet artistiċi abbinati mal-biennale tas-sena d-dieħla.
“Ir-rispons u l-interess b’saħħithom ħafna li qed nirċievu għal kull sejħa li qed ikollna jawguraw tajjeb immens għat-tieni edizzjoni tal-Malta Biennale s-sena d-dieħla. Jimlewna iktar b’kuraġġ biex Heritage Malta żżid ir-rieda tagħha li permezz tal-Malta Biennale li ttella’ fis-siti storiċi fir-responsabbiltà tagħha, tagħti esperjenza aqwa lil kull min iżurhom biex l-għanijiet li għalihom jittellgħu inizjattivi bħal dawn jissarrfu; l-ewwel nett lill-Maltin u l-Għawdxin imma wkoll lil dawk kollha li se jkunu qed iżuru l-gżejjer tagħna matul il-Malta Biennale 2026,” qal Mario Cutajar, il-President tal-Malta Biennale 2026 u ċ-Chairman ta’ Heritage Malta.
Is-Sur Cutajar kompla li l-ewwel edizzjoni li saret is-sena li għaddiet kienet diġà suċċess kbir li poġġa lil pajjiżna fil-kalendarju kulturali dinji tal-arti kontemporanja, ġab għarfien ikbar għall-patrimonju Malti u anki sewa ħafna għall-arti u l-artisti Maltin. “Din it-tieni edizzjoni trid issaħħaħ u tistabbilixxi iktar dak li bdejna, ħalli nkomplu nibnu pedamenti sodi għal edizzjonijiet oħra ta’ dan il-biennale Malti li għalkemm huwa wieħed minn iktar minn 350 biennale mxerrda mad-dinja, irnexxielu jistabbilixxi ruħu minn kmieni.”
Fil-ġimgħat li ġejjin se tkun qed tagħlaq ukoll is-sejħa għall-padiljuni, li hija l-aħħar sejħa internazzjonali maħruġa għal din il-pjattaforma internazzjonali tal-arti kontemporanja li qed issir taħt il-patroċinju tal-Eċċellenza Tagħha l-President ta’ Malta.
Il-Malta Biennale 2026 jiftaħ fil-11 ta’ Marzu u jibqa’ sejjer sad-29 ta’ Mejju tas-sena d-dieħla fil-Belt Valletta, il-Birgu, ix-Xagħra u ċ-Ċittadella t’Għawdex. Qed jittella’ minn Heritage Malta bi sħubija mal-Kunsill Malti għall-Arti u bil-koperazzjoni ta’ Visit Malta, il-Ministeru għall-Kultura, l-Artijiet u l-Gvern Lokali, u l-Ministeru għall-Affarijiet Barranin u t-Turiżmu.