HOMO MELITENSIS: (still) incomplete

The Malta Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2017 – reinvented in 2025 for a Maltese audience. Held at MUZA, Valletta. Commissioned by Arts Council Malta.

The second edition of the Malta Pavilion at the Biennale Arte 2017, titled Homo Melitensis, explores Maltese identity. It examines the “Maltese Man” on an island where its inhabitants struggle to agree on their nationhood, aspirations, memories, and interactions with outsiders. The exhibition offers a cryptic and contradictory inventory, presented through a multifaceted lens that includes artworks, objects, and documents.

Exhibition Architect: Tom Van Malderen 

Graphic Design: 2point3

Commissioner: Arts Council Malta 

Supported by Heritage Malta

Photos: Julian Vassallo and 2point3