Malta Biennale 2026: Visceral Art Amidst Geopolitical Tensions

The Malta Biennale 2026, curated by Rosa Martínez under the theme 'Clean. Clear. Cut,' runs until 29 May across multiple historic sites in Malta and Gozo. The main exhibition features works by Concetta Modica, whose 'Nine Nights of Malta' is scattered across venues, and Ana Álvarez-Errecalde, whose raw postpartum photographs at the National Museum of Archaeology confront viewers with birth and placenta. Emily Jacir's 'Il-Kelb tad-Dar' at the Grand Master's Palace explores the Palestinian Canaan dog as a diplomatic tool. The French Pavilion by Louis-Paul Caron uses AI-generated trompe-l'oeil video. Several artists, including Basim Magdy and Mahmoud Massad, could not exhibit due to the US-Israel war on Iran and violence in Palestine; Martínez left their spaces blank with explanatory notes. At Fort St Angelo, Anastasia Ax's bleeding brick installation critiques modernization. On Gozo, Therese Debono's 'BLANK' protests proposed apartment construction near the Ġgantija Temples. The biennale includes 24 pavilions, 13 at Fort St Elmo.