By Times of Malta
Adrian Abela, Charlie Cauchi and Raphael Vella will be representing Malta at the prestigious Biennale di Venezia International Art Exhibition in 2026. Established in 1895, La Biennale di Venezia, a platform for the exhibition of works by international artists, is today acknowledged as one of the most prestigious cultural institutions. The 61st edition of the Venice Art Biennale will be held from May 9 to November 22, 2026. The theme is ‘No Need to Sparkle’: an invitation to surrender to uncertainty and to embrace ‘doubting well’ as a philosophy of our unstable times. The pavilion proposes a space which goes contrary to loud, political convictions, and instead places its trust in a radical uncertainty. No Need to Sparkle exists as a triangulation of belief systems which disintegrate before our eyes. Three works present layered fictions and shifting realities, leading us down unanticipated paths. Adrian Abela studied architecture and civil engineering in Malta and Milan and received an MFA in sculpture from UCLA. He currently lives and works in Los Angeles. Charlie Cauchi is a Maltese interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker whose work blends visual storytelling, advocacy, and cultural exploration. Raphael Vella has been active as an artist and curator for many years and is currently a professor of Art Education and Socially Engaged Art at the University of Malta. With over 20 years of experience in the arts sector, curator Margerita Pulè has developed a distinct and professional curatorial practice that is politically engaged, research-based and context-specific. Project Manager Tamara Burr is an accomplished studio manager, skilled inproject coordination and operations. The producer is Unfinished Art Space, and R Gallery is the Associate Producer. Kathrine Maj is the Outreach Programmer and Mark Sullivan and Julian Vassallo, on behalf of SON Architecture Studio, are the architects. We Exhibit is the Production Team and Alexandra Pace is the graphic designer. The board members were: Dr Katya Micallef, Principal Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at MUÅ»A; Adrian Mamo, Artistic Director at Teatru Manoel, President at Malta Society of Arts; Daniel Azzopardi, Artistic Director at Spazju Kreattiv, The 61st Venice Biennale, set to take place in 2026, will be titled “In Minor Keys”, curated by the late Koyo Kouoh. This theme, chosen by Kouoh, explores the spaces within “minor keys” in music, focusing on the poetic, sensory, and ethereal aspects often associated with them. After a 17-year absence, Malta returned to the Biennale di Venezia in 2017 with its own national pavilion. Arts Council Malta, under the auspices of the Culture Ministry, is the commissioner of the Malta Pavilion at the Biennale di Venezia.