The Court for Concealed Thoughts
Public Artwork Receives Intended Inauguration After Eight Years
After standing by the Mediterranean Sea for eight years, The Court for Concealed Thought (Misraħ il-Kliem Mistur) – a public sculpture by Maltese artist Adrian mm Abela – will be officially inaugurated through a participatory performance ritual on January 4, 2026, at sunset.
The Court for Concealed Thoughts consists of five stone pillars arranged in a circle overlooking the sea at Għar Lapsi, Siggiewi. Each pillar’s distinctive waveform shape was derived from audio recordings of villagers sharing personal secrets they wished to release. The work’s title draws on a linguistic connection in Maltese: mistur (concealed) and mistura (medicine) share the consonantal roots {M}–S–T–R, suggesting that what we hide and what heals us spring from a common source. Through the act of voicing what was once concealed, the work transforms secrecy into remedy.
The concept was selected through a government-hosted open call in 2015, chosen by both an expert judging panel and public vote, and installed in 2018. Despite its completion, the sculpture has remained without official inauguration or informational signage – until now.
On January 4th at 5pm, the site will host its first annual ritual of collective release. Members of the public are invited to anonymously submit their secrets through the project website, kliemmistur.com. At sunset, a reader will voice these confessions toward the horizon, transforming private burdens into a shared act of healing.
This ceremony will recur annually on the first Sunday of each January, creating an ongoing tradition for as long as the site endures. The public is invited to witness this inaugural ceremony and to contribute their own concealed thoughts to future readings.Adrian mm Abela is a Maltese artist based in Los Angeles whose multidisciplinary practice explores identity, memory, and collective ritual. His work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Venice Biennale, and is part of the National Collection of Malta.
