Call for Artists and Art Pavilions to form part of Malta Art Biennale

MUŻA is inviting interested applicants to submit challenging, curious and immersive experiences which will be taking place in Malta, Europe, and available between March and May 2024.

White sea olive groves – an imagining of an array of whites from ancient and contemporary times, shaped into a vast cradle within which civilisation relishes myriads of cultures, art, and diversity: a visual festa inspired by a process of formulating new narratives for the region.

Narratives that confront the horrendous stink of death by drowning; narratives that can defeat discourse fuelling fundamentalism and nationalism – a choral ‘hymn to the universe’, celebrating peace and harmony, defying war(s) with olive branches in hand, gleaned from the evergreen olive groves of the Mediterranean, blending with the sparkling whiteness of the seas that surround them: a provocative artistic initiative inviting a rethink of global mindsets about art and society, emanating from the deep south of the European continent.

Scope

• The Malta Biennale provides a unique opportunity for any country to exhibit the best of its artistic research in UNESCO city and cultural sites and to be part of a union of history and tradition with a vision of contemporary reality.

What Support will be provided for the Pavilions?

• maltabiennale.art shall provide the following to pavilions:
  • Access to exhibit in a World Heritage Site.
  • Opportunity to form part of and exhibit in an international programme.
  • Consultancy services for shipping, insurances and accommodation.
  • Technical assistance of the installation through the agencies’ offices.
  • Technical assessment of the exhibition by the agencies’ offices in order to verify compliance with the current Maltese security and safety regulations, and with restrictions related to historic buildings.
  • A basic electrical and general lighting system.
  • Internet connection.
  • Daytime surveillance of outdoor spaces during closing hours of the exhibition.
  • Night surveillance of outdoor areas.
  • Exhibition signage.
  • Marketing and promotion of the Biennale – including social media campaigns, a dedicated website, public relations including invitations to key art and culture international journalists.
  • A general catalogue covering the entirety of the Biennale. Each pavilion will be entitled to include information about its concept and its artists (complete with installation views). The catalogue will be printed, and a number of free copies will be given to each pavilion. The catalogue will also be available for sale at the Official Book Shop of the Biennale Malta 2024.
  • All the pavilions and their events will be included within an arts and culture mobile application which will have a special maltabiennale.art category.
  • A calendar will be developed for the biennial mortar and a public programme of side events which will be organised in addition to the exhibition locations. These will be such things as workshops, performances, talks etc.
  • VIP invitations for a selection of guests for the opening ceremony.

What Support will be provided to the Artists?

• maltabiennale.art shall provide the following support to the artists:
  • Access to exhibit in a World Heritage Site.
  • The opportunity to be part of and exhibit in an international programme.
  • Consultancy services for shipping, insurances and accommodation.
  • Technical assistance for the installation through the agencies’ offices.
  • Technical assessment of the exhibition by the agencies’ offices in order to verify compliance with the current Maltese security and safety regulations, and with the restrictions related to historic buildings.
  • A basic electrical and general lighting system.
  • Internet connection.
  • Daytime surveillance of outdoor spaces during closing hours of the exhibition.
  • Night surveillance of outdoor areas.
  • Exhibition signage.
  • Marketing and promotion of the Biennale – including the marketing and promotion of individual artists.
  • A general catalogue covering the entirety of the Biennale.
  • The maltabiennale.art will be included within an arts and culture mobile application which will have a special maltabiennale.art category.
  • A grant to cover costs for art production and to cover travel and accommodation for artists traveling to Malta from abroad.

When

• Taking place between March and May 2024, Malta’s art biennale will coincide with the turn of spring, a glorious time of year that sees the Mediterranean island bloom with warm weather and extended hours of daylight.
• The islands’ culturally rich festa season also gets underway as village parishes celebrate patron saints with week-long festivities that include elaborate religious ceremonies, marching band processions, masterful firework displays, and many other traditional activities. Several other popular arts and cultural events and festivals are held around Malta and Gozo at this time of year.

Where

• With a long and rich history that spans all the way back to Neolithic times, the Maltese islands have been at the centre of cultural encounters within the Mediterranean since the dawn of civilisation. The Maltese identity reflects this colourful past: from the seafaring Phoenicians to the British Empire’s colonial rule, the islands are a living, breathing testament to the importance of cultural and historical heritage.
• Maltabiennale.art will transform some of the islands’ most beloved historic sites and outdoors areas into stages for artistic creations and expressions.
• The capital Valletta is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site that together with its neighbouring harbour cities of Birgu, Bormla, and Isla forms a treasure box of majestic palazzos, forts, churches, museums, and more. While sister island Gozo, with its emerald hills dotted with quaint villages, retains an idyllic rural charm. The organisers together with participants will seek to find imaginative ways to host new and exciting cultural encounters in some of the island’s most celebrated spaces.

The Location of Biennale 2024 (maltabiennale.art)

• maltabiennale.art 2024 will be held in Malta. Notably, an island that has been challenged in finding its place in existing histories of contemporary Western and non-Western art due to its periods of colonisation and location; that is, being located in the centre of the Mediterranean and on the periphery of Europe.

Eligibility Criteria

• Call for Artists: This call is intended for both local and international artists wishing to present projects in accordance with the theme of this year’s Biennale.
• Call for Pavilion: This call is also open to interested pavilions applying from any country or region while the curatorial teams may be composed of a mixture of curators, architects, designers, project managers and curatorial assistants.

Timeframe

Call for Artists

• Applications received before Friday 25th August will be analysed by the curatorial team. During this phase the curatorial team may ask the applicant for clarification.
• All submissions will be acknowledged and will be dealt with in strictest confidence. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Call for Pavilion

• Applications received before Friday 25th August will be analyzed by the curatorial team. During this phase the curatorial team may ask for clarification.
• All submissions will be acknowledged and will be dealt with in strictest confidence.
• Late submissions will not be accepted.

For more information, visit Call for Artists and Art Pavilions.