Malta is no stranger to art Biennales. For years, local artists have been sharing their ideas with global audiences, from Venice and London to Gwangju in South Korea later this year. 2026 also marks the second edition of Malta’s very own Biennale, an event spanning two months that is received with much anticipation by the art community and public alike. Here’s a glimpse of what to expect.
An eclectic pool of artists
For Malta Biennale 2026, organised by Heritage Malta, more than 130 artists from over 40 different countries will be participating and showcasing their creativity across 27 national and thematic pavilions spread over 11 museums and historical sites in Valletta, Birgu, Xagħra and the Citadel in Gozo.
Among them are famed Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, known for his provocative and satirical work that has sparked global debate and established him as a leading figure in contemporary art. The Guerrilla Girls, an anonymous collective of artists and activists whose work addresses injustice while advocating for equal rights, will also be participating.
Following a public call issued last year, three artists were selected to participate in the Malta pavilion: Victor Agius, Roderick Camilleri, and Gulja Holland. Artists Vince Briffa and Pierre Portelli were invited to form part of the national team, led by Dr Katya Micallef, Principal Curator at MUŻA.
Building on the 2024 edition, this year presents an expanded programme with a total of 27 pavilions. Eight of these are national – Malta, Poland, Spain, Finland, Armenia, China, Serbia, and France – alongside 19 thematic pavilions. These include collaborations with other international biennales such as the Gwangju Biennale in South Korea and the Çanakkale Biennial Initiative (CABANIN) in Turkey, complemented by 12 satellite events.
A pioneering pavilion this year is one organised by the Kordin Correctional Facility showing artworks created by its residents – underscoring the Biennale’s commitment to broadening cultural participation and amplifying diverse creative voices.
Bridging the past and present
Mario Cutajar, Chairman of Heritage Malta, founder and President of the Malta Biennale – which enjoys the patronage this year of the President of Malta Myriam Spiteri Debono as well as UNESCO – shares how at its core, this event is a dialogue between the past and present.
“Through contemporary art, inspired by and presented alongside Malta’s cultural heritage, this dialogue comes to life by addressing current subjects and themes while simultaneously referencing history, opening new horizons to all those visiting this international exhibition.”
This year’s theme, Clean | Clear | Cut, invites artists to responsd to a call for an urgent transformation of the world we live in, where “the gap between proclaimed political and aesthetic ideals and the construction of false realities defines the conditions for a new form of global enslavement, where the distribution of wealth, the exploitation of natural resources, and the power to decide who lives and who dies remain concentrated in the hands of a few.”
The question of how contemporary art can enhance critical awareness of our past and present, while fostering the experience and enjoyment of beauty, will be at the heart of the second edition of the Malta Biennale 2026.
Artistic Director and international curator, Rosa Martínez, brings decades of curatorial experience to this event. Based in Spain, she has served as Artistic Director of biennials around the world, most notably of the Venice Biennale in 2005, making her one of the first female curators in the 110-year history of this international exhibition.
“The Malta Biennale has a wonderful energy,” she noted during a press conference last October. “Fuelled by the illusion of the beginnings, it is moved by the desire of inventing a world, and of creating a meaningful event, both locally and internationally. It also has the goal of providing a significant platform for Maltese artists.”
She added that selected projects will be related to the narratives embodied in each of the Heritage Malta venues, emphasising this connection between past and present. “We are immersed in an adventurous process of dialogue and invention, of fantasy and discipline, in the ethical reconstruction of the way we live together.”
The official opening of the Malta Biennale 2026 will take place on March 10 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta. It will open to the public on 14th March and will run for 11 weeks, until 29th May 2026.
Photography courtesy of Malta Biennale 2026. Main image: Artistic Director and International Curator Rosa Martínez (centre) with Alexia Medici (centre right) and Antoine Borg Micallef (centre left) from the curatorial team, and Gonzalo Pastor (far right) and Jesús De Los Ojos Exhibition Designers (far left)
