Mediterranean in Context of Contemporary Art, Malta Biennale.art, White Sea, Olive Groves

Abstract

The Malta Biennale.Art is a new contemporary art event, held for the first time from March 13 to May 31, 2024, across various locations in Malta and the island of Gozo. The artistic director was Sofia Baldi-Pighi, with curatorial support from Emma Mattei and Elisa Carolo, while the exhibition design was done Nigel Baldacchino. The event was funded by the Government of Malta and held under the patronage of the President of Malta and UNESCO. As the author of the artwork Night Tide, I participated in the thematic section related to piracy. However, this text does not focus on my personal work or experiences with artistic production. The text is written from the perspective of an analysis of the curatorial concept, illustrated through examples of artworks related to specific thematic strands. The main theme of the Biennale was the Mediterranean, and the methodology focus on the analysis of four curatorial thematic section, all closely linked to the history and present of Malta. The four thematic sections are: Matri-Archive of the Mediterranean, Decolonising Malta: We Are the Polyphony, Can You Sea: The Mediterranean as a Political Body (Counter) Power of Piracy.  An international open call for the production and exhibition of works attracted 2,527 submissions, out of which 72 artworks were selected. Additionally, the open call included national pavilions from individual countries. The entire event was conceived with great ambition, while its execution remained fully within the context of working conditions typical of Mediterranean countries.