Malta Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2026 opened

Arts Council Malta has announced the official opening of the Malta pavilion as part of its prestigious arts showcase at the La Biennale di Venezia.

Malta is presenting with the theme No Need to Sparkle: Experiments in Love and Revolution at the Arsenale.

Commissioned by Arts Council Malta, the pavilion brings together the works of artists Adrian MM Abela, Charlie Cauchi and Raphael Vella, under the curatorship of Margerita Pulè, and with architectural design by SON Architects.

Malta's participation in one of the largest international platforms for contemporary art further strengthens Arts Council Malta’s commitment towards supporting ambitious, artistic practices and towards increasing international presence for Maltese artists.

Luke Dalli, executive chairman of Arts Council Malta said: “Malta’s continuous presence at Venice’s Biennale makes up an important part of Arts Council Malta’s long-term vision of further strengthening the internationalisation of local, artistic practice."

Through its Strategy 2030, Arts Council is investing in cultural ecology to allow artists, curators and cultural organisations to participate in international cultural dialogues with ambition and confidence, Dalli said. 

This year's pavilion reflects not only Malta’s contemporary art scene’s high quality and maturity but also the value of collaboration between public institutions and the independent cultural sector to create sustainable opportunities for future generations. 

No Need to Sparkle: Experiments in Love and Revolution shows how Maltese artists are tackling universal themes like identity, memory, power and resistance through multidisciplinary and experimental practices that speak to international audiences.

The pavilion, which brings together artists, curation, architecture and independent organisations towards one coherent vision, is testimony to the growing development and confidence in the local cultural sector.”

Annabelle Stivala, Head of Internationalisation at Arts Council Malta, said such projects not only offer Maltese artists visibility but also facilitate dialogues and exchanges.

Arts Council chair Luke Dalli, artist Raphael Vella and ambassador to Italy Daniel Azzopardi.

This is achieved through three distinct works of art. Declaration of Dependence (A Game of Surrender) by Adrian MM Abela is structured as a stage divided into three temporal zones.

Dolce by Charlie Cauchi uses a 4K video format, accompanied by sculptural elements in chocolate and mixed materials.

Raphael Vella’s installation Praying for a Revolution That Will Never Come combines stop-motion animation, sound, and industrially compressed protest posters and banners.

Curator of the Maltese pavilion, Margarita Pulè, said the pavilion is conceived as a space that asks us to reconsider our own certainties, and that introduces doubt, illusion, and myth, not as a paralysis, but as starting points toward empathy and greater understanding in the world.

The works within the Pavilion layer myths, fiction, history and contemporary media, and draw from a wide range of historical and conceptual sources, forming three separate, but co-existing installations.

Malta’s pavilion at the 61st Arts International Showcase – La Biennale di Venezia is open to the public between today and November 22.