Malta Pavilion at 2026 Venice Biennale Explores Doubt and Resistance

The Malta Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale, titled 'No Need To Sparkle: Experiments in Love and Revolution', features artists Adrian MM Abela, Charlie Cauchi, and Raphael Vella, curated by Margerita Pulè. Located in the Arsenale, the pavilion runs from 9 May to 22 November 2026. Abela presents 'Declaration of Dependence, a game of surrender', a stage divided into past, present, and future, questioning the national pavilion structure. Cauchi's 'Dolce' is a video and sculptural work referencing Fellini's 'La Dolce Vita', exposing cinema's illusions and Malta's multiple identities. Vella's 'In Praying for a Revolution That Will Never Come' examines collective dissent in Malta, from 1919 riots to protests after journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder. The pavilion's screen-based works create instability, exploring autonomy, embodiment, authenticity, and mythmaking. The team sees a resonance with the Biennale's theme 'In Minor Keys', viewing Malta's perspective as perpetually minor. They acknowledge the tension between the Biennale as soft power and a space for contemporary art. The pavilion was supported by Versace in partnership with ArtReview.