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
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