Paintings by Aleksandar Stankovski have been banned from being exhibited during the Gozo Arts Festival after a report was filed to the Ministry of Gozo.

Yet these paintings had already been exhibited in Macedonia without problems.

“Isn’t it ironic that while Malta is supposed to be celebrating culture through The Malta Arts Festival, art is still being censored?” the Front Against Censorship asked.

It is therefore holding a ‘Funeral March of Art’ – symbolising the dying state of the arts in our country as a result of censorship. This march comes with a response to the court sentence which upheld the ban to the controversial play Stitching, and at the end of the Arts Festival.

“State censorship creates a sense of fear, self-censorship, and takes away our civil liberties,” FAC affirms. “We will NOT tolerate the death of artistic freedom!”

The march will start from City Gate, Valletta at 10.30am on Saturday 24 July. It is expected to proceed halfway down Republic Street, up Merchant’s Street and stop in front of the Culture Ministry on the same road.

Participants are invited to wear black in mourning of Maltese art.