Over 3,200 artistic proposals submitted for the Malta Biennale 2026
Valletta, Malta, July 3, 2025
Over 3,200 applications were submitted for the Malta Biennale 2026, by artists wishing to participate in the second edition of the international contemporary art platform. The Call for Artists closed last Monday. The applications, which originated from 122 countries, across five continents, will go through a selection process to determine which proposals will form part of the main exhibition of the Malta Biennale, which is being held under the artistic direction of Rosa Martínez.
The applications submitted for the second edition exceed in number by almost 30%, what Heritage Malta received for the first edition held in 2024. The Malta Biennale garnered international success in its inaugural edition, placing Malta on the global contemporary art map through widespread press coverage in international newspapers and magazines which praised the Maltese art platform. The first edition was held under the patronage of both UNESCO and the President of Malta. The Biennale’s second edition, which will also be held across several museums and historical sites managed by Heritage Malta, from March 11 to May 29, 2026, has already received the patronage of Her Excellency, the President of Malta. The title of the Malta Biennale 2026 is: Clean | Clear | Cut (Tnaddaf | Tgħarraf | Tferraq).
The President of the Malta Biennale and Chairman of Heritage Malta, Mario Cutajar, said that the first edition already positioned the Malta Biennale in an advantageous international position, and that given the increased number of artistic proposals submitted, together with the general interest being shown, it was clear that the second edition would strengthen the prestige of the contemporary art platform. He proceeded to explain that the Malta Biennale would remain grounded in dialogue that unites the past and the present by looking to history for inspiration. After all, it is this dialogue that creates a connection between our historical sites and new audiences, making them more relevant to our times and our context.
The Call for Artists to participate in the main exhibition of the Malta Biennale 2026, is the first out of a total of three calls, to have closed. All the calls were launched last March. The Call for Satellite Events is still active and will close on July 25, while the Call for Pavilions will close on August 29. The second edition of the Malta Biennale will take place in museums and historical sites around the Grand Harbour – in Valletta and in Birgu, as well as in Xagħra and the Citadel, Gozo.
The Malta Biennale is organised by Heritage Malta, in partnership with Arts Council Malta and in collaboration with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, the Ministry for Culture, Lands and Local Government, and with Visit Malta.
Verżjoni bil-Malti
Iktar minn 3,200 proposta artistika għall-Malta Biennale 2026
Stqarrija għall-istampa Il-Belt Valletta, Malta, 3 ta’ Lulju, 2025
Iktar minn 3,200 proposta artistika ġew imressqa biex jieħdu sehem fil-Malta Biennale 2026, hekk kif dil-ġimgħa għalqet is-sejħa internazzjonali għall-artisti li jixtiequ jieħdu sehem fit-tieni edizzjoni ta’ dil-pjattaforma internazzjonali tal-arti kontemporanja. Il-proposti artistiċi, li waslu minn 122 pajjiż differenti, minn ħames kontinenti, issa jgħaddu minn proċess ta’ għażla biex jagħmlu parti mill-wirja ewlenija tal-Malta Biennale 2026, li huwa taħt id-direzzjoni artistika ta’ Rosa Martínez.
In-numru ta’ applikazzjonijiet għat-tieni edizzjoni jisboq bi kważi 30% dak li Heritage Malta kienet irċeviet għall-ewwel edizzjoni li saret fl-2024. Il-Malta Biennale kiseb suċċess internazzjonali fl-ewwel edizzjoni tiegħu u daħħal lil Malta fil-kalendarju dinji tal-arti kontemporanja meta anki ġurnali u rivisti internazzjonali kellhom kliem ta’ tifħir għal dil-pjattaforma tal-arti mtellgħa minn Malta. Dik l-edizzjoni kienet ittellgħet taħt il-patroċinju kemm tal-UNESCO u kemm tal-President ta’ Malta. It-tieni edizzjoni tal-Malta Biennale, bħall-edizzjoni tas-sena li għaddiet, se tkun qed issir f’diversi mużewijiet u siti mmexxija minn Heritage Malta bejn il-11 ta’ Marzu u d-29 ta’ Mejju tas-sena d-dieħla u l-Eċċellenza Tagħha l-President ta’ Malta diġà tat il-patroċinju tagħha għal dit-tieni edizzjoni tal-Malta Biennale. It-tema għall-Malta Biennale 2026 hija Tnaddaf | Tgħarraf | Tferraq.
Il-President tal-Malta Biennale 2026 u Chairman ta’ Heritage Malta, Mario Cutajar, qal li l-ewwel edizzjoni diġà ppożizzjonat lill-Malta Biennale f’qagħda internazzjonali tajba u min-numru ikbar ta’ proposti artistiċi li daħlu u mill-interess ġenerali li qed jintwera, jidher ċar li t-tieni edizzjoni se tkun qed issaħħaħ il-prestiġju ta’ dil-pjattaforma internazzjonali tal-arti kontemporanja. Huwa kompla li l-Malta Biennale se jibqa’ msejjes fuq id-djalogu li jgħaqqad l-imgħoddi mal-lum meta jħares lejn l-istorja għall-ispirazzjoni tiegħu. Fuq kollox, huwa djalogu dwar dak li qed ngħixu madwarna kuljum, li jiftaħ is-siti storiċi Maltin għal udjenzi ġodda u jagħmilhom iktar rilevanti għal żminijietna.
Din is-sejħa internazzjonali għal proposti artistiċi għall-wirja ewlenija tal-Malta Biennale hija l-ewwel sejħa li għalqet minn tlieta li ilhom miftuħin minn Marzu li għadda. Għad hemm miftuħa sejħa għal attivitajiet abbinati mal-Malta Biennale (satellite events) li se tagħlaq fl-aħħar ta’ dax-xahar u s-sejħa internazzjonali għall-padiljuni li tagħlaq fl-aħħar ta’ Awwissu 2025. It-tieni edizzjoni tal-Malta Biennale se tikkonċentra ruħha f’siti storiċi madwar il-Port il-Kbir fil-Belt Valletta u fil-Birgu kif ukoll fix-Xagħra u fiċ-Ċittadella t’Għawdex.
Il-Malta Biennale 2026 huwa mtella’ minn Heritage Malta bi sħubija mal-Kunsill Malti għall-Arti u bil-koperazzjoni ta’ Visit Malta, tal-Ministeru għall-Affarijiet Barranin u Turiżmu, u tal-Ministeru għall-Kultura, l-Artijiet u l-Gvern Lokali.