NO NEED TO SPARKLE
Experiments in Love and Revolution
PRESS RELEASE: Arts Council Malta is pleased to announce that artists Adrian MM Abela, Charlie Cauchi and Raphael Vella shall be representing Malta at the prestigious 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, with curation by Margerita Pulè. The group show, entitled No Need to Sparkle; Experiments in Love and Revolution, marks Malta’s 5th participation in the International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia (9 May to 22 November 2026).
No Need to Sparkle, the title of which is taken from Virginia Woolf’s influential essay, A Room of One’s Own, will feature newly commissioned artwork from each artist, built upon a wide range of historical and conceptual material. Themes explored include protest history, prehistoric mythology, identity, and the film industry, placing myths, stories and contemporary media side by side to explore how we understand reality. Each artist will present a screen-based and multimedia installation, leading visitors into uncertain terrain, and coalescing into a space of question, reflection, and illusion.
Incorporating elements including large-scale sculpture, hand-drawn pieces, live action film and stop-motion animation, the works will transport audiences into layered fictions, shifting narratives and melting storylines, provoking deeper reflection on truth, perception and belief systems – themes that align with the contemporary preoccupations of Maltese society.
In an era of fractured realities, continuous news streams, rising temperatures and shifting world orders, the search for ‘truth’ can feel futile, leaving us cynical and unable to act. No Need to Sparkle responds to present-day realities by embracing the concept of ‘doubting well’ – a reminder that doubt can be an active force, and proposing it not as paralysis, but as a vital act of resistance.
The Malta Pavilion in 2026 is commissioned by Arts Council Malta, under the auspices of Malta’s Ministry for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government. The Pavilion is being project led by the Internationalisation team at Arts Council Malta, headed by Dr Romina Delia.
The 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia shall mark Arts Council Malta’s 5th participation with its own National Pavilion since 2017, when Malta re-entered the Art Biennale with Homo Melitensis: An incomplete history in 19 chapters exhibition. Arts Council Malta also commissioned Malta’s participation in the 2019, 2022 and 2024 editions, with Maleth / Haven / Port – Heterotopias of Evocation, Diplomazija Astuta and I WILL FOLLOW THE SHIP, respectively.
Speaking at the local press launch, Dr Luke Dalli, Executive Chairman at Arts Council Malta, stated that Malta’s participation in the International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia reflects a strong commitment by Arts Council Malta to supporting artistic excellence and strengthening Malta’s cultural presence on a global scale.
Owen Bonnici, Minister for Culture, Lands and Local Government stated that Malta’s participation at the prestigious International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia reflects Maltese artists’ high standing and their growing presence on the global stage. He reiterated the Malta government commitment to further invest in culture, and the arts, to support local artists internationally. Dr Bonnici said that the government is ensuring that culture, and the arts are closer to the people – a process which he described as the democratization of these sectors.
Pavilion Curator, Margerita Pulè said that the Pavilion is proposed as an antidote to our extreme and fragmented times, allowing a space for resistance through reflection, dialogue and strangeness.
