Malta Biennale 2026 comes to a close
The second edition of the Malta Biennale came to a close yesterday evening, during a ceremony that was held at Fort St Elmo, in Valletta.
Under the artistic direction of Sean Buhagiar, the closing ceremony featured a live orchestra, with a five-piece repertoire by Cher Camilleri and Michael Azzopardi, juxtaposed by speeches by Heritage Malta (HM) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Noel Zammit, Malta Biennale 2026 President and HM Chairman, Mario Cutajar, and H.E. the President of Malta, Myriam Spiteri Debono.
During the closing ceremony, the last Maltese Falcon Award recipient was also announced – the winner of the People’s Choice award being Halil Altindere, whose works Star Wars: Knights of Malta vs Ottoman Drones (2026) and Star Wars: Royal Hunt (2023) were on show at the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta.
HM CEO, Noel Zammit, said that throughout this edition of the Malta Biennale, visitors to Heritage Malta’s sites and museums discovered Malta’s historical heritage through a new lens – that of contemporary art. This was made possible not only through the artworks themselves, but also through the series of activities organised in parallel with the Biennale. “We are closing this second edition of the Malta Biennale with a sense of pride, but also with a sense of anticipation. The Biennale has planted a seed that will grow into a strong tree with farreaching roots. It will continue to inspire, it will continue to provoke thought, and it will continue to strengthen Malta’s cultural sector long after this evening has passed,” Mr Zammit said.
During his speech, Malta Biennale President, Mario Cutajar explained how, “The second edition of the Malta Biennale is, in my view, the cornerstone of future editions, just as the first edition constituted our building blocks and foundation. The greater success achieved through this edition highlights the relevance of the Biennale both for HM as well as our country. For HM, the Biennale is one of the agency’s most effective tools in achieving a renewed vision for its museums and sites – making them more accessible and relevant – while for our country, the Biennale provides greater visibility to our heritage to both local and foreign audiences.
“It is immensely satisfying to see our country being recognised as a preferred destination during the Malta Biennale, and this alone already demonstrates that the beauty of our islands is reaching further afield and gaining wider appreciation. None of this would have been possible without the dedicated team behind the Malta Biennale and the committed HM employees who worked tirelessly from one project to the next,” Mr Cutajar said.
H.E. Myriam Spiteri Debono, President of Malta, said that throughout these past weeks, Malta Biennale 2026 transformed the country into an open space for creativity, dialogue and reflection, while once again demonstrating the power of art to connect people and give voice to diverse realities and experiences. The President remarked that the Biennale went beyond being an exhibition of artistic works, becoming a living platform where contemporary creativity engaged meaningfully with Malta’s cultural heritage and historical spaces. She also highlighted how “this edition continued to strengthen Malta’s international reputation as a centre for contemporary art and cultural exchange, while encouraging critical thought, inclusion, and wider participation in culture, particularly among younger generations.” The President concluded by expressing hope that the Biennale will continue to inspire new ideas, foster positive change, and strengthen the role of culture at the heart of society.
The Malta Biennale 2026 unfolded across 11 weeks with an international exhibition together with national and thematic pavilions hosted in 11 Heritage Malta historic sites and museums in Valletta, Vittoriosa (Malta), and Xagħra and Victoria (Gozo). With over 130 artists participating from more than 50 countries, the Biennale also included a strong public programme of events for audiences of all ages, which comprised satellite events, artist-led activities, performances in public spaces, hands-on workshops, and more.
Titled Clean | Clear | Cut, the international exhibition was curated by acclaimed artistic director Rosa Martínez. During the Biennale, HM sites and museums were activated through the dialogue created between contemporary art and cultural heritage, and through the marriage of past and present.
The full schedule of exhibitions, participating artists, pavilions and events in the public programme can be viewed on maltabiennale.art. The official guidebook of the Malta Biennale 2026 can be downloaded for free from the website, and the catalogue can be purchased online or at one of the 11 sites in which the Malta Biennale took place.
The Malta Biennale was organised by Heritage Malta in partnership with Arts Council Malta, Visit Malta, the Valletta Cultural Agency, and Public Broadcasting Services. The Malta Biennale was also held in full collaboration with the Ministry for Culture, Lands and Local Government, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, and the Ministry for Gozo and Planning.
The Malta Biennale is online: www.maltabiennale.art
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn: @maltabiennale.art
Verżjoni bil-Malti
Tagħlaq it-tieni edizzjoni tal-Malta Biennale
It-tieni edizzjoni tal-Malta Biennale għalqet ilbieraħ filgħaxija, waqt ċerimonja fil-Forti Sant’Iermu, il-Belt Valletta.
Taħt id-direzzjoni artistika ta’ Sean Buhagiar, iċ-ċerimonja tal-għeluq inkludiet orkestra live u repertorju mużikali f’ħames partijiet, minn Cher Camilleri u Michael Azzopardi, flimkien ma’ diskorsi mill-Kap Eżekuttiv ta’ Heritage Malta (HM), Noel Zammit, mill-President tal-Malta Biennale 2026 u ċ-Chairman ta’ HM, Mario Cutajar, u mill-E.T. il-President ta’ Malta, Myriam Spiteri Debono.
Matul iċ-ċerimonja tħabbar ukoll l-aħħar rebbieħ tal-Falkun Malti – ir-rebbieħ tal-premju tal-Għażla tal-Pubbliku, li huwa Halil Altindere. lx-xogħlijiet tiegħu, bl-isem Star Wars: Knights of Malta vs Ottoman Drones (2026) u Star Wars: Royal Hunt (2023), kienu esebiti fil-Palazz tal-Gran Mastru, fil-Belt Valletta.
Il-Kap Eżekuttiv ta’ HM, Noel Zammit, qal li matul din l-edizzjoni tal-Malta Biennale, il-viżitaturi tas-siti u l-mużewijiet ta’ Heritage Malta skoprew il-wirt storiku Malti minn lenti ġdida – dik tal-arti kontemporanja. Dan mhux biss bis-saħħa tax-xogħlijiet artistiċi nfushom iżda wkoll bil-gzuz ta’ attivitajiet li ġew organizzati id f’id mal-Biennale. “Qed nagħlqu din it-tieni edizzjoni tal-Malta Biennale b’sens ta’ kburija iżda wkoll b’sens ta’ antiċipazzjoni. Il-Biennale xettel żerriegħa li se tikber f’siġra b’saħħitha u b’għeruq mifruxin. Se jkompli jnebbaħ, se jkompli jqanqal, se jkompli jsaħħaħ il-qasam kulturali Malti ħafna wara li din il-lejla tkun għaddiet,” qal is-Sur Zammit.
Waqt id-diskors tiegħu, il-President tal-Biennale, is-Sur Cutajar qal li, “Dit-tieni edizzjoni tal-Malta Biennale nqisha l-ġebla tax-xewka tal-edizzjonijiet li għad iridu jsegwu daqskemm l-ewwel edizzjoni kienet il-pedament li fuqu bnejna. Is-suċċess ikbar li tatna din l-edizzjoni juri l-ħtieġa tal-Biennale kemm għal Heritage Malta u kemm għal pajjiżna. Għal Heritage Malta għax il-Biennale huwa wieħed mill-għodda effettivi tal-aġenzija biex tilħaq viżjoni ġdida għall-mużewijiet u s-siti tagħha biex ikunu iktar aċċessibbli u iktar rilevanti għal-lum. Għal pajjiżna għax il-patrimonju tagħna jintwera iktar biex ikun apprezzat, l-ewwel nett minna stess u mbagħad ukoll lil hinn minn xtutna.
“Sodisfazzjon kbir li pajjiżna jiġi kkwotat destinazzjoni favorita għal waqt il-Malta Biennale u dan waħdu diġà juri li s-sabiħ ta’ pajjiżna qed jasal iktar ’il bogħod minna u jkun apprezzat. Dan kollu possibbli għax kien hemm tim dedikat wara l-Malta Biennale u ħaddiema ta’ Heritage Malta ffukati li jwettqu proġett fuq ieħor,” qal is-Sur Cutajar.
L-E.T. Myriam Spiteri Debono, il-President ta’ Malta, qalet li matul dawn l-aħħar ġimgħat, il-Malta Biennale 2026 ittrasforma l-pajjiż fi spazju miftuħ għall-kreattività, id-djalogu u r-riflessjoni, filwaqt li għal darb’oħra wera s-saħħa tal-arti biex tgħaqqad lin-nies u tagħti vuċi għad-diversità ta’ realtajiet u esperjenzi. Il-President irrimarkat li l-Biennale mar lil hinn minn sempliċi wirja ta’ xogħlijiet artistiċi, u sar pjattaforma ħajja fejn il-kreattività kontemporanja daħlet fi djalogu importanti mal-wirt kulturali u l-ispazji storiċi ta’ Malta. Hija enfasizzat ukoll kif “din l-edizzjoni kompliet issaħħaħ ir-reputazzjoni internazzjonali ta’ Malta bħala ċentru tal-arti kontemporanja u l-iskambju kulturali, filwaqt li ħeġġet il-ħsieb kritiku, l-inklużjoni u parteċipazzjoni usa’ fil-kultura, b’mod partikolari fost iż-żgħażagħ.” Il-President temmet id-diskors tagħha billi esprimiet it-tama tagħha li l-Biennale jkompli jispira ideat ġodda, irawwem bidla pożittiva u jsaħħaħ l-irwol tal-kultura fil-qalba tas-soċjetà.
Il-Malta Biennale 2026 żvolġa tul 11-il ġimgħa, b’wirja internazzjonali u padiljuni nazzjonali u tematiċi li ttellgħu fi 11-il sit storiku u mużew ta’ HM fil-Belt Valletta u l-Birgu f’Malta, u fix-Xagħra u r-Rabat, f’Għawdex. B’aktar minn 130 artist minn iżjed minn 50 pajjiż, il-Biennale kien jinkludi wkoll programm pubbliku b’saħħtu ta’ attivitajiet għal udjenzi ta’ kull età, fosthom avvenimenti paralleli, attivitajiet immexxija mill-artisti, wirjiet fi spazji pubbliċi, workshops, u ħafna aktar.
Bit-titlu Tnaddaf | Tgħarraf | Tferraq, il-wirja internazzjonali ġiet ikkurata mid-direttur artistiku Rosa Martínez. Matul il-Biennale, is-siti u l-mużewijiet ta’ HM ġew attivati permezz tad-djalogu maħluq bejn l-arti kontemporanja u l-patrimonju kulturali, kif ukoll permezz tal-għaqda bejn il-passat u l-preżent.
L-iskeda sħiħa tal-wirjiet, l-artisti li pparteċipaw fit-tieni edizzjoni, il-padiljuni, l-avvenimenti fil-programm pubbliku, u l-avvenimenti paralleli tista’ tinkiseb permezz ta’ maltabiennale.art. Minn fuq din il-website hija wkoll disponibbli l-gwida uffiċjali tal-Biennale b’xejn, u jista’ wkoll jinxtara l-katalgu – jew mill-website stess jew inkella mis-siti ta’ HM fejn ittella’ l-Biennale.
Il-Malta Biennale ttella’ minn Heritage Malta bi sħab mal-Kunsill Malti għall-Arti, Visit Malta, l-Aġenzija Kulturali għall-Belt Valletta, u l-Public Broadcasting Services. Il-Malta Biennale sar ukoll b’kollaborazzjoni sħiħa mal-Ministeru għall-Kultura, l-Artijiet u l-Gvern Lokali, il-Ministeru għall-Affarijiet Barranin u t-Turiżmu, u l-Ministeru għal Għawdex u l-Ippjanar.
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