As the grand unveiling of maltabiennale.art to the public approaches, the cultural fervour kicked off in earnest with a special Artistic Director's preview tour. Led by Artistic Director, Sofia Baldi Pighi, and President of maltabiennale.art and Chairman of Heritage Malta, Mario Cutajar, this curated journey welcomed esteemed guests, both local and international, to the heart of maltabiennale.art's main sites.
With 20 international journalists in tow, who will be showcasing this momentous cultural event in Malta to the world, the tour introduced the event's themes, the heritage sites hosting the installations, the brilliant artists and their creations, and encapsulated the spirit of this extensive artistic celebration which will run until May 31, 2024. Attendees were also treated to exclusive live performances from various artists, further bringing the biennale's themes and discussions to life in an immersive experience.
"It's a tremendous honour to host such distinguished guests, many of whom are visionary artists and leading cultural figures in their own right, to this momentous occasion. The preparation of this preview tour was meticulous, designed to take our guests on a whirlwind journey, where each stop adds more meaning and context to the biennale's central theme, white sea olive groves. The preview tour set the tone and spirit for the dialogues and conversations we aim to inspire among our audiences regarding the role of contemporary art in shedding new light on our heritage," explains Artist Director Sofia Baldi Pighi, an independent Italian curator who since 2017 has been focusing on the encounter between art, historical and landscape heritage through contemporary art exhibitions, public programs and art therapy workshops for public and private institutions.
Day one of the preview tour centred on the diverse biennale sites in Valletta. The morning commenced with a visit to the Grand Master's Palace hosting compelling exhibitions themed around "The Matri-archive of the Mediterranean," before moving on to tours of the installations at the Main Guard and the National Library. In the afternoon, the tour explored MUŻA, the National Museum of Archaeology, Tal-Pilar church, Auberge d'Aragon, and Underground