Last week, we had the immense pleasure of inaugurating the brand new Malta International Contemporary Arts Space, MICAS. This was one of the most ambitious promises in the 2022 Labour Party electoral manifesto.
Through MICAS, Malta has now achieved new heights in culture and the arts, which many doubted whether it would ever attain. We always begged to differ. We have always believed that Malta can and will reach greatness in these areas. MICAS proves our point and lays to rest doubts that it ever will.
It was a huge challenge, logistically mostly. A sizable area, huge by Maltese standards – 4,000 square metres to be precise – had to be converted. A total investment of €30 million, part of which derived from the European Fund for Regional Development.
This tremendous investment in the arts and cultural sector required round the clock teamwork, precise deliverables, meticulous planning, an eye for detail, discipline to ensure strict adherence to deadlines; top-notch project management and above all a lot of creativity and competence. Our team, which delivered MICAS, had these qualities in abundance.
The inauguration was a key moment in the history of culture and the arts in Malta. It is not every day that such projects see the light of day. MICAS is our legacy to the arts and cultural sectors in Malta.
At the heart of Floriana, MICAS shall be a thriving hotspot of innovation and creativity for generations to come.
And now this beautiful area is being transformed into a green area that will contribute to further social cohesion and serve as an oasis of peace, tranquillity and inspiration for families, visitors and the public.
I have always maintained that nothing beats culture and the arts to strengthen a country’s sustainability.
Through MICAS, we have, once again, reaffirmed the government’s commitment, which unfailingly places art and culture at the centre of its plans.
In his book, Pain in the Arts, Sir John Tusa, a British arts administrator, journalist and author said: “The arts matter because they embrace, express and define the soul of a civilisation.
“A nation without arts would be a nation that had stopped talking to itself, stopped dreaming, and had lost interest in the past and lacked curiosity about the future”.
MICAS shall do precisely that. It will serve as a platform for local and international artists. It will thrust Malta, further, onto the world stage of creativity. It will add lustre to Malta’s creative image abroad.
Culture and the arts strengthen a country’s sustainability- Owen Bonnici
A special word of thanks to MICAS chairperson, Phyllis Muscat, an entrepreneur by profession, and an experienced administrator in both the private and public sector, and the members of the MICAS board who led the
effort for the contemporary art museum from the beginning with dedication and long-term cooperation.
My sincere gratitude to each worker who worked on this great project with dedication.
I am eager to see this building that will give dignity to every artist, take life. I am equally excited to witness the conversations between the artists and their celebration of creativity. Arts and culture not only beautify but also enrich a country.
The Labour government has always believed that Malta deserves to be a protagonist in contemporary artistic exhibitions and cultural dialogues of the highest international level. In the last few years, the awareness of how valuable cultural tourism is, has also increased.
We also believe in the need to make art and culture more inclusive. MICAS will be a platform for this.
It shall enhance Malta’s reputation as a cultural destination attracting international artists and audiences. MICAS is a gift to Malta and its vibrant arts and cultural scene. It is a significant community asset promoting intercultural dialogue, inspiration, and creativity.
MICAS is a real-life testament of our legacy, which we wish to pass on to future generations.
A future without culture would be a cause of great concern for humanity.
MICAS is another important and historic step in the recognition of art and culture as aspects of extraordinary importance that form the values that determine our future.
I fully concur with Malta’s ambassador for culture, Francis Sultana, who said that: “Museums engage people of all walks of life. But they are also part of a lifestyle: having lunch, taking your children there for an ‘art morning’, creating a community… that is the success of art museums”.
MICAS will do just that.
Owen Bonnici is Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government.