Malta Biennale 2026: Awards for the Best Artwork, Best Pavilion Announced
The recipients of The Maltese Falcon – the Malta Biennale 2026 award – were announced last night during an awards ceremony held at the Oratory, St John’s Co-Cathedral, against the dramatic backdrop of Caravaggio’s iconic Beheading of St John.
The recipients of the Best Artwork Award are Concetta Modica, with Fragments of the sky of Malta: The journey of a tomato sepal to become a star, and Therese Debono, with Blank. Concetta Modica’s (IT) work focuses on the present and its paradoxes, especially the idea of a contemporary epic, conceived through remnants and relationships with matter and sculpture-related media. Therese Debono (MT) is a photographer whose practice develops through long-term engagement with specific places. Her work focuses on sites that have been altered, erased, or rebuilt, and are now becoming ordinary while still holding layers of lived experience and, at times, trauma.
The recipient of the Best Pavilion Award is Redefining. Polish Ghanaian Textile Narratives, curated by Natalia Bradbury and featuring the work of Eliza Proszczuk, Ernestina Mansa Doku and Marta Nadolle. This pavilion presents a monumental textile installation created through collaboration between Polish and Ghanaian artists. Rooted in the Biennale’s theme, the work revisits a little‑known history of solidarity between Poland and Ghana, transforming it into a hopeful vision for future cooperation. Guided by the philosophy of Ubuntu – “I am because we are” – the installation celebrates interdependence, empathy, and shared humanity.
The award recipients were selected by an independent, international panel of judges featuring freelance curator and art critic Gerardo Mosquera, visual artist Monica Narula, and curator and lecturer Irene Biolchini. The international jury members were appointed by the Executive Board of the Malta Biennale 2026, on the recommendation of Artistic Director Rosa Martínez.
The third Maltese Falcon – the People’s Choice Award – will be announced in the final days of the Malta Biennale.
The official inauguration of the Malta Biennale 2026 took place on Tuesday, March 10, followed by three days of previews which came to a close yesterday. From today until May 29, the Malta Biennale is open to the public. This international contemporary art platform features the work of over 130 artists in the international exhibition and in the national and thematic pavilions. Spread across 11 Heritage Malta historical sites and museums across Malta and Gozo, the Malta Biennale 2026 is also accompanied by a strong programme of public events.
Tickets for the Malta Biennale can be purchased online via maltabiennale.art. The full schedule of exhibitions, participating artists, pavilions, and events in the public programme can also be accessed via maltabiennale.art.
The Malta Biennale is organised by Heritage Malta in partnership with Arts Council Malta, Visit Malta, the Valletta Cultural Agency, and Public Broadcasting Services. The Malta Biennale is also being 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
Il-Malta Biennale 2026: jitħabbru r-rebbieħa tal-premjijiet għall-aħjar xogħol artistiku u għall-aħjar padiljun
Ir-rebbieħa tal-Falkun ta’ Malta – il-premju tal-Malta Biennale 2026 – tħabbru lbieraħ filgħaxija waqt ċerimonja ta’ premjazzjoni li saret fl-Oratorju tal-Konkatidral ta’ San Ġwann, bil-pittura ikonika ta’ Caravaggio, Il-Qtugħ ir-Ras ta’ San Ġwann, toffri sfond drammatiku.
Ir-rebbieħa tal-Premju għall-Aħjar Xogħol Artistiku huma Concetta Modica, bi Fragments of the sky of Malta: The journey of a tomato sepal to become a star, u Therese Debono, bi Blank. Ix-xogħol tat-Taljana Concetta Modica jiffoka fuq il-preżent u l-paradossi tiegħu, b’mod speċjali l-idea ta’ epika kontemporanja maħluqa permezz ta’ fdalijiet u relazzjonijiet mal-materja u mal-midja relatata max-xogħol skulturali. Therese Debono hija fotografa Maltija li l-prattika tagħha tiżviluppa permezz ta’ involviment fit-tul ma’ postijiet speċifiċi. Xogħolha jiffoka fuq siti li nbidlu, tħassru jew inbnew mill-ġdid, u li issa saru ordinarji minkejja li għadhom iġorru saffi ta’ esperjenzi umani u kultant anke trawma.
Ir-rebbieħ tal-Premju għall-Aħjar Padiljun huwa Redefining. Polish Ghanaian Textile Narratives, li l-kuratriċi tiegħu hija Natalia Bradbury u li jinkludi xogħlijiet ta’ Eliza Proszczuk, Ernestina Mansa Doku u Marta Nadolle. Dan il-padiljun jippreżenta installazzjoni monumentali bit-tessuti, maħluqa permezz ta’ kollaborazzjoni bejn artisti mill-Polonja u mill-Ghana. Imnebbaħ mit-tema tal-Biennale, ix-xogħol ifakkar l-istorja ftit magħrufa ta’ solidarjetà bejn il-Polonja u l-Ghana, u jittrasformaha f’viżjoni ta’ tama għal koperazzjoni futura. L-installazzjoni hija gwidata mill-filosofija Ubuntu – “Jien għax aħna” – u tiċċelebra l-interdipendenza, l-empatija u l-umanità kondiviża.
Ir-rebbieħa ntgħażlu minn ġurija internazzjonali indipendenti li kienet tinkludi lill-kuratur u kritiku tal-arti freelance Gerardo Mosquera, l-artista viżiva Monica Narula, u l-kuratur u lettur Irene Biolchini. Il-membri tal-ġurija internazzjonali ġew appuntati mill-Bord Eżekuttiv tal-Malta Biennale 2026 fuq ir-rakkomandazzjoni tad-Direttur Artistiku, Rosa Martínez.
Ir-rebbieħ tat-tielet Falkun Malti – il-Premju tal-Għażla tal-Pubbliku – se jitħabbar fl-aħħar jiem tal-Malta Biennale.
L-inawgurazzjoni uffiċjali tal-Malta Biennale 2026 saret nhar it-Tlieta 10 ta’ Marzu, segwita minn tlett ijiem ta’ wirjiet preliminari li ntemmu lbieraħ. Mil-lum sad-29 ta’ Mejju, il-Malta Biennale huwa miftuħ għall-pubbliku. Din il-pjattaforma internazzjonali tal-arti kontemporanja tinkludi xogħlijiet ta’ aktar minn 130 artist fl-esebizzjoni internazzjonali u fil-padiljuni nazzjonali u tematiċi. Mifrux fuq 11-il sit storiku u mużew ta’ Heritage Malta f’Malta u Għawdex, il-Malta Biennale 2026 hu akkumpanjat ukoll minn programm b’saħħtu ta’ attivitajiet pubbliċi.
Il-biljetti għall-Malta Biennale jinxtraw online minn maltabiennale.art. Il-lista sħiħa tal-wirjiet, l-artisti li qed jipparteċipaw, il-padiljuni u l-attivitajiet tal-programm pubbliku tinsab ukoll f’maltabiennale.art.
Il-Malta Biennale huwa mtella’ 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 qed isir ukoll f’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.
Malta Biennale qiegħed online:
Website uffiċjali: www.maltabiennale.art
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn: @maltabiennale.art