€400,000 spent on Portuguese artist's exhibition

The Shift Team - 27. January. 2025

A temporary contemporary art exhibition by renowned Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos is currently ongoing at the Malta International Contemporary Arts Centre (MICAS) and has cost taxpayers €400,000.

Vasconcelos received a fee of €100,000 for her participation in the grand opening of MICAS last year and for giving media interviews.

In addition to her personal fee, the government allocated almost €200,000 for the exhibition’s production costs, €32,000 for unspecified “installation of works of art,” and another €25,000 for the “design and organisation of the project.”

The information emerged from questions in parliament submitted by PN MP Albert Buttigieg.

Culture Minister Owen Bonnici, responsible for MICAS, said an additional €22,000 was spent on a party organised for the exhibition’s opening, while €14,000 was spent on removing the works of art.

Minister Bonnici stressed the importance of featuring such a prominent foreign artist in Malta to enhance the island’s profile on the international stage.

Vasconcelos is an acclaimed contemporary artist known for her large-scale immersive installations. Her exhibition, ‘Transcending the Domestic,’ runs until the end of March.

Prime Minister Robert Abela and Minister Owen Bonnici at the MICAS party organised by Phyllis Muscat.

MICAS, located in Floriana, was officially inaugurated by the prime minister last year during a lavish party that cost more than €225,000.

The Centre, managed by Phyllis Muscat, has been criticised for delays in the project’s completion and significant budget overruns.

Although the government has not yet provided a breakdown of the millions spent on the refurbishment of Osipizio in Floriana (which was supposed to open in 2018), MICAS has reportedly spent millions on acquiring works of art without proper accountability or transparency.

Malta’s Ambassador for Culture Francis Sultana

Artwork was also acquired from acquaintances and business partners of MICAS board member Francis Sultana, a Gozitan interior designer working in London at a gallery owned by his long-time partner, David Gill.

In 2018, former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat appointed him Ambassador for Culture.

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simon oosterman

10 months ago

OK, friends of friends, over budget, much delayed, but the exhibition is fantastic! Go see it!

Guest

P montebello

10 months ago

Where is micas? I know it is in floriana, but where exactly??

Guest

S. Camilleri

10 months ago

“Vasconcelos received a fee of ?100,000 for her participation in the grand opening of MICAS last year and for giving media interviews.”: instead of paying us for all the free promotion she received. “Culture Minister Owen Bonnici, responsible for MICAS, said an additional ?22,000 was spent on a party organised for the exhibition?s opening,”: more modest than the ?225,000 spent for the party for MICAS but still I wonder whether the taxpayer, who paid for all of it, was invited to the bountiful party.

Guest

Paul Pullicino

10 months ago

That the cost of 8 new social housing units. But no. Owen wants an art exhibition by a foreigner who is probably known only in Lisbon and by only a few who live there.

Guest

Flint

10 months ago

Politicians with money are like kids with marijuana you have to keep an eye on them .

Guest

Osservatore

10 months ago

Visited last weekend. The building is lovely although still partly unfinished. The content does leave much to be desired in terms of quantity and, in my personal opinion, quality. Save of course for the Pitre? exhibition which is the only saving grace.

Vasconcelos? works are highly overrated in my opinion and quite frankly, it all looks very much like a kids play area. Size seems to matter more than quality. Some of the Shawcross installations are also not working on account of technical issues with the motors creating the effects.

The staff could also be better trained at how to deal with visitors and I felt there wasn?t half the professionalism that one expects in similar galleries elsewhere in Europe.

The massive parking in front was closed. I was told that this is reserved for employees. Instead I had to park under the crumbling bastion walls.

There is a lot of potential now that the construction has almost been completed. However caveat emptor. This museum is nowhere near the quality of MUZA.