Women on Waves claims Malta Biennale censored abortion artwork

A non-profit organisation has accused the Malta Biennale of censoring its artwork on abortion pills after it was removed from an exhibition at the Malta Maritime Museum hours before the launch event.

Women on Waves, a non-profit organisation providing help and information on safe abortion in restrictive settings, was invited to participate in the Malta Biennale with an artwork titled 'Do you need a safe abortion?'

However, on Tuesday, the organisation claimed the artwork was being censored because of wording on a banner which forms part of the exhibit. The banner reads “Need Abortion Pills?” in both English and Maltese.

“The Biennale curatorial team is now censoring Women on Waves’ artwork about accessing the abortion pill by removing the work today from the exhibition venue at the Malta Maritime Museum at the eleventh hour, with the exhibition scheduled to open tonight,” the team wrote in a statement.

Rebecca Gomperts, the founder of Women on Waves, told Times of Malta they had agreed with the curatorial team on the title of the artwork, but not on the wording that appeared on the banner itself.

Gomperts said the text “Do you need a safe abortion?” did not fit on the banner, with the artists instead opting for the text “Need Abortion Pills?”.

According to Women on Waves, upon seeing the banner, the Malta Biennale team requested a change to the text. 

"At the request of the Malta Biennale, the banner was changed to say, 'Do You Need A Safe Abortion?' with the word 'Pills' crossed out," the group said in a statement.

However, on Monday afternoon, the organisation said it was informed by the Biennale that the revised version was “not suitable”.

By Tuesday, the Biennale team had removed the artwork from the exhibition venue at the Malta Maritime Museum.

According to Women on Waves, the organisers said the work did not meet “minimum aesthetic quality standards to be shown in an international biennale.”

Gomperts rejected that explanation, arguing that the decision amounted to censorship.

“There is nothing uglier than censorship. Abortion with medication is the only safe method available to Maltese women.”

She added: “By censoring the word ‘Pills’, the Biennale is harming these women by withholding critical health information pertaining to their health. This violates women’s right to scientific information and our right to expression and free speech.”

The organisation also said it remained committed to supporting Maltese women seeking safe abortion care, in line with its mission to prevent unsafe abortions and support women’s right to physical and mental autonomy.

Earlier this year, Women on Waves sought a legal opinion from lawyer Emma Portelli Bonnici, as requested by the Biennale organisers. In her legal opinion, she noted, “When lawful artistic expression is restricted within such [art] spaces, the harm extends beyond the individual artist or organisation affected and reaches the integrity of the cultural sphere itself… Cultural expression is not ancillary to democratic life but an essential component of it.”

Women on Waves is the second linked to pro-abortion artwork to claim censorship connected to the Malta Biennale.

In 2024, Italian artist Sara Leghissa said her pro-choice artwork, Unborn Celebration, had been censored during the first Malta Biennale.

Leghissa said her artistic choices and wording were repeatedly questioned and that there had been a last-minute change of venue for the piece.

She added that she felt pressure “like never before” while working on the artwork.

Abortion is illegal in Malta except when performed by doctors to save a woman’s life.

Under the European Commission’s recent decision, Malta is not required to change its abortion laws or to use EU funds to support abortion access. However, other EU countries may use EU funding to assist Maltese women seeking abortions in their country.

Until now, Maltese women have been able to obtain abortions in other EU member states, but they must pay for the procedure themselves.

Questions were sent to the Malta Biennale team.