Malta’s MICAS Opens with Joana Vasconcelos, Plus a Guide to the Island’s Art and Heritage
On October 25, 2024, the Malta International Contemporary Art Space (MICAS) was inaugurated in Floriana, close to Valletta, within a 17th-century military structure. This marks the establishment of Malta’s inaugural contemporary art museum, spanning 8,360 square meters and featuring a sculpture garden. The opening exhibition, Transcending the Domestic by Joana Vasconcelos, is on display until March 27, 2025, showcasing pieces that confront themes of gender roles and consumerism. Upcoming exhibitions will feature artists such as Milton Avery, Reggie Burrows Hodges, and Ray Pitrè. Valletta, which was constructed following the Great Siege of 1565, is home to historical landmarks like Fort St. Elmo and St. John’s Co-Cathedral, housing two masterpieces by Caravaggio. The prehistoric temples of Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra date back to around 3500 BCE.
Key facts
- MICAS opened October 25, 2024, in Floriana, Malta.
- MICAS is Malta's first contemporary art museum, occupying 8,360 sqm in a 17th-century military complex.
- Inaugural exhibition 'Transcending the Domestic' by Joana Vasconcelos runs until March 27, 2025.
- Vasconcelos's works include 'Loft', 'Tree of Life', and 'Valkyrie Mumbet'.
- 'Valkyrie Mumbet' references Elisabeth Mumbet Freeman, who sued for freedom in 1781.
- Future MICAS exhibitions feature Milton Avery, Reggie Burrows Hodges, and Ray Pitrè.
- St. John's Co-Cathedral houses Caravaggio's 'The Beheading of St. John the Baptist' and 'St. Jerome Writing'.
- Caravaggio was in Malta from 1606 to 1608, became a Knight, then was expelled.
- Renzo Piano redeveloped Valletta's City Gate (2010–2015), adding Parliament and an open-air theatre.
- Prehistoric temples Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra date to c. 3500 BCE and are aligned with solstices.
- MUŻA museum displays works by Mattia Preti and Antonio Sciortino.
- Casa Gourgion in Mdina is a neo-Gothic house museum of Baron Giuseppe De Piro Gourgion.
Entities
Artists
- Joana Vasconcelos
- Milton Avery
- Reggie Burrows Hodges
- Ray Pitrè
- Caravaggio
- Mattia Preti
- Girolamo Cassar
- Stefano Erardi
- Antonio Sciortino
- Renzo Piano
- Elisabeth Mumbet Freeman
- John Adams
- Alof de Wignacourt
- Jean de Valette
- Giuseppe De Piro Gourgion
- Bob Dylan
- Niccolò Lucarelli
Institutions
- Malta International Contemporary Art Space (MICAS)
- National War Museum
- St. John's Co-Cathedral
- Casa Rocca Piccola
- MUŻA (Malta National Community Art Museum)
- Casa Gourgion
- Order of St. John (Knights of Malta)
- Artribune
Locations
- Malta
- Floriana
- Valletta
- Gozo
- Comino
- Birgu (Vittoriosa)
- Mdina
- Żurrieq
- Ħaġar Qim
- Mnajdra
- Fort St. Elmo
- Fort Manoel
- Fort St. Angelo
- Fort Ricasoli
- Fort San Salvatore
- City Gate
- Royal Opera House
- Sicily
- North Africa
- Mediterranean
- Massachusetts
- Italy