The Gwangju Biennale for contemporary art will welcome a new participant in 2026, as Arts Council Malta announced our islands’ preparation for the global South Korean art event to be held next year, along with Malta’s presence in the Venice Biennale which will also take place next year.
Considered one of Asia’s principal contemporary art events, participation in this event will be a first for Malta – and a reflection of Maltese artists’ high standing and their growing presence on the global stage, said Owen Bonnici, Minister for Culture, Lands and Local Government at the official announcement held at the Malta International Contemporary Arts Space (MICAS).
Malta’s debut at the Gwangju Biennale marks an important step in expanding Malta’s cultural footprint beyond Europe, said Minister Bonnici, while Arts Council Malta CEO, Luke Dalli, stated that Malta’s participation in Venice’s Biennale, as well as its debut in Gwangju, reflect a strong commitment to supporting artistic excellence and strengthening Malta’s cultural presence on a global scale.
BEJN / IN-BETWEEN will be Malta’s pavilion for the Gwangju Biennale, to be held between September and December 2026, presented under the theme You Must Change Your Life. Hosted at the Horanggasy Art Polygon Gallery, the artistic team comprises four contemporary artists: Norbert Francis Attard, Sam Alekksandra, Julien Vinet, and Michael Quinton.
Toni Attard is the project director, while Infinita, led by Mark Anthony Sammut, will provide extended reality (XR) support.
“The project will map an ecosystem unfolding between Malta and Korea through immersive installations, transforming the Malta Pavilion into a living threshold,” the artists explain.
“The Pavilion will therefore create a new ‘in-between’: a reimagined sacred space for an age of polarisation: not as a refuge from tension but as a crucible in which opposing energies generate their own light.”
The individuals involved in the selection process for the Gwangju Pavilion included Dusu Choi (Head of Gwangju Biennale Exhibition Department), Sean Buhagiar (Artistic Director at Teatru Malta) and Rupert Cefai (CEO of Fondazzjoni Kreattività), while the process was moderated by Romina Delia.
The 61st edition of the Venice Biennale, which will be held between May and November 2026, is titled In Minor Keys, referencing the spaces found within ‘minor keys’ of music. The Malta Pavilion, titled ‘No Need to Sparkle; Experiments in Love and Revolution’, will be curated by Margerita Pulè and created by artists Adrian MM Abela, Charlie Cauchi and Raphael Vella.
The Pavilion will respond to present-day realities by embracing Aristotle’s idea of ‘wise doubt’ – a reminder that doubt can be an active and resistant force. The work transports audiences into layered fictions, shifting narratives and melting storylines, provoking deeper reflection on truth, perception and belief systems – themes that align with the wider cultural ambitions of our country.
The individuals involved in the selection process for the Malta Pavilion included Katya Micallef (Head Curator of Modern and Contemporary Arts at MUŻA), Adrian Mamo (Artistic Director at Manoel Theatre, and President of Malta Society of Arts), and Daniel Azzopardi (Artistic Director at Spazju Kreattiv). The process was moderated by Romina Delia, Head of International Cultural Relations at Arts Council Malta.
Photography: Arts Council Malta
