Over the years, Malta’s public institutions have acquired a growing collection of artworks by Maltese artists.

These are pieces bought with public funds, in the name of heritage, culture and national identity. But where are they? And, more importantly, why has the public never seen them?

I ask this not hypothetically. Four of my own paintings have been purchased by public entities – three by Heritage Malta in 2022 and one in 2006 by what was then the National Museum of Fine Arts. Since then, none of these works have ever been publicly displayed. I honestly do not know where they are.

This isn’t simply about my personal experience. It is about a wider issue that reflects a national problem.

Malta has amassed an important cultural collection by artists far more capable and prominent than I will ever be, but, instead of it being visible, alive and part of the public domain, it is hidden behind institutional doors.

There is no public catalogue, no national strategy, no transparency – only storage, bureaucracy and confusion at the hands of largely unqualified political appointments.

The idea that Malta has invested in a national collection that is essentially invisible should concern us all. Public funds were used with the purpose of safeguarding and celebrating Maltese identity and creativity. But, without any system of accountability or even basic access, the result is a silent archive: art that no one can see, appreciate or learn from.

What could be a dynamic cultural resource has instead become a forgotten hoard.

That confusion only deepens with the emergence of institutions like MUŻA and MICAS. As an artist, I find myself genuinely baffled: What are their mandates? Who do they serve?

MUŻA, located in Valletta, is often referred to as Malta’s national art museum, but its space and curatorial scope are very limited. It does not and seemingly cannot or is unwilling to reflect the breadth and depth of Malta’s modern and contemporary art scene.

MUŻA calls itself a community art museum but where is the community? If it cannot make room for the modern and contemporary Maltese artists whose works the state itself has acquired, then what exactly is its role? Community engagement should not be a slogan; it should be a principle in practice.

Artists and audiences alike should feel that MUŻA belongs to them. And, yet, most do not.

We are one of the only countries I know to not have a veritable national museum of contemporary art bringing together the art of Maltese artists over the past decades in one place. What good is a contemporary national museum that does not actually show or value its own artists?

On the other hand, MICAS, Malta’s new flagship space for contemporary art, is a large and ambitious project set within historic fortifications. It has global ambitions of high-profile international exhibitions and a monumental footprint.

We need to stop treating Maltese artists as side notes in their own country’s cultural narrative- Shaun Grech

While it is an international art space, one is still hard-pressed to question if and how Maltese art will fit within this space and whether it is even wanted.

To date, there is no clear or open policy for Maltese artists to exhibit there. There are no open calls, no transparent curatorial process and no visible effort to showcase the vast existing collection of contemporary Maltese art already held by the state.

How on earth is that massive space going to be filled and by who? I am sure, at some point, a token gesture to have a couple of Maltese artists slip in will crop up to appease but who will sit on the board? How will the selection be done? And will it be neutral?

Three White Scum by Shaun Grech.

International ambition is welcome. But it should not come at the cost of local representation. An international art space should still be one that respects the ground it sits on, where Maltese artists are given the opportunity to speak to both local and international audiences.

Overall, what message does it send when multiple institutions operate in silos, without a shared public-facing vision for Maltese art? Artists don’t know where to turn. The public doesn’t know where to go. And the works themselves remain in the shadows.

Malta is not lacking in cultural talent. It is not lacking in history, voice or public investment. What it’s lacking is clarity, cohesion, competence, commitment to visibility and a climate devoid of incompetent political appointments and self-interest.

We need an institution – whatever it may call itself – that is truly dedicated to Maltese modern and contemporary work – not just in name but in practice.

We need policies that prioritise inclusion, visibility and access, not gatekeeping. And we need to stop treating Maltese artists as side notes in their own country’s cultural narrative.

Until that happens, what we have is not a living collection. It is a quiet archive rotting in humid stores somewhere. And the story of Maltese art continues to be written out of view or told in fragments.

Shaun Grech is a sociologist and artist.