MICAS Opens with Joana Vasconcelos Exhibition

PR
Written by Naman Gaur

Malta International Contemporary Art Space (MICAS), the country’s first-ever museum dedicated to contemporary art, officially opened to the public October 27

<

The long-awaited museum has finally launched its exhibition program with a simply stunning showcase by visionary Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos. The coming two years will feature five diverse exhibitions that will give the platform to international artists and to celebrated local talent from Malta.

The museum campus is placed within 17th-century fortifications, overlooking Marsamxett Harbour and the capital city of Valletta. It measures 8,360 square meters or 90,000 square feet, with an indoor gallery space of 1,400 square meters or 15,070 square feet, outdoor sculpture gardens, restored fortifications, and a shop and café.

We are delighted to finally unveil the fruits of our team’s labor over the past several years,” said Phyllis Muscat, CEO of MICAS and Chair of the Board. “Malta’s creative scene is booming, and the opening of MICAS will put Malta on the world stage for arts for years to come. We look forward to sharing this extraordinary space with guests from around the world.”

Vasconcelos’s work will open the first show, but further displays will consist of Milton Avery, Reggie Burrows Hodges, Ray Pitrè, and other Maltese artists. A modernist painter whose influence extends through Barnett Newman to Mark Rothko, Avery will be presented alongside a new crop of contemporary talent inspired by his work. Reggie Burrows Hodges will open with a new show, much of it produced especially for the museum.

It was from the historic site that Vasconcelos found inspiration, which she exploited through the height of the space. The four monumental works that constitute her exhibition are The Tree of Life, which ascends from the lowest gallery floor; Valkyrie Mumbet, suspended from the ceiling of the top level; and Loft, a three-dimensional representation of an apartment that visitors can explore physically while viewing from above. The last one, The Garden of Eden, is staged in a special, dark chamber, playing with the equilibrium between the mundane and spiritual, reflecting the title chosen for the exhibition: Joana Vasconcelos: Transcending the Domestic.

“It is a huge honor to be the first artist to open MICAS. Opening a museum isn’t something that happens all too often in the art world, and I am really privileged,” Vasconcelos said. “I have connected so strongly with Malta as a woman and an artist. This space at MICAS is very unique, and we are creating something special here.”

About the author

Naman Gaur

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Newest
Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x
Share to...