‘MICAS will change the way Malta’s perceived’

The artistic director of Malta’s newest art space thinks MICAS will change the way the country is perceived while providing new opportunities for local artists.

Pointing to how perceptions of the Spanish city Bilbao had changed following the opening of its Guggenheim Museum in 1997, Malta International Contemporary Arts Space (MICAS) artistic director Edith Devaney said Floriana’s new art centre could do the same for Malta.

“Bilbao was a city that needed regeneration while Malta is a thriving community, but I think that in terms of people’s perceptions, MICAS will make a difference,” she said.

“And the fact that the remit is to be truly international suggests this is something we are certainly striving towards.”

MICAS was inaugurated on Friday and opens today. 

Devaney brings a wealth of experience to her leading role at MICAS after 20 years as senior curator at the Royal Academy of Arts in London and two years managing famed British artist David Hockney’s operations in Los Angeles.

Explaining she had been introduced to MICAS executive chairperson Phyllis Muscat by a mutual friend almost 10 years ago, Devaney said she “couldn’t say no” when asked to come aboard as artistic director.

“It was such an opportunity, and I could see what I’m so interested in –  museums being a catalyst for interesting things happening,” she said.

“I came to Malta and instantly shared their excitement about this new venture; in the museum world, starting something from scratch is not only unbelievably ambitious but really exciting.”

Calling the MICAS site nestled among the 17th-century Ospizio complex of buildings and fortifications “amazing”, Devaney said the “intermingling of modernity and old structures” would help attract big names from overseas while paying homage to Malta’s history.

“That’s something that marks it in a positive way and makes artists globally want to come, commune with us and work with us because it’s not just a huge space in another city – it’s something really different,” she said.

“It’s not just flying in a painting or a piece of sculpture – it’s a much more meaningful relationship that we want to establish.”

Homegrown talent

But while MICAS aims to showcase leading international artists, what is it doing to promote local talent?

“This is something that we are absolutely focused on and there is an awful lot of talent here,” she said, noting there were already “a lot of successful artists here operating internationally”.

“I think that what MICAS will offer them is a way to show their work here but also to contextualise it in an international sense.”

Following the art centre’s opening exhibition by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos, MICAS will present Malta in Focus from May to August next year.

This second exhibition features works by Maltese artists Caesar Attard, Austin Camilleri, Joyce Camilleri, Anton Grech, Pierre Portelli and Vince Briffa, and “shows our commitment to focusing on some of the very best creative work that’s going on here,” said Devaney.

In November MICAS will unveil a work by Maltese sculptor Raymond Pitrè, one she described as a “very important work from a very established senior artist living here”.

Devaney stressed decisions about which artists to feature were taken by a committee: “It’s really important for it not to be a singular voice… and what we looked at when establishing this first two-year program was a balance of different elements”.

Asked if she could detect a distinct Maltese character in works by local artists, Devaney said she was not convinced nationality was evident in any artist’s works but suggested the country’s accessibility could play a role.

“Malta is so connected and everyone I met here seems to travel regularly and are truly European… I think that gives a sense of the broadness of their thinking. But if you put a series of paintings in front of me and said pick out the English or Maltese work, I’m not sure if I’d be able to do that.”

Describing Malta as having “extraordinary light”, however, Devaney said she believed this to be reflected in the work of Maltese artists, pointing to colour differences between artists on the east and west coasts of the USA.

‘Go on with an open mind’

But with contemporary art sometimes finding pushback from mainstream audiences, what would Devaney say to those who did not think contemporary art was for them? For example, British artist Tracey Emin’s My Bed famously proved controversial with audiences upon its release.

“You talk about Tracy’s bed, and that’s a kind of an extreme example. But then you’ve got other artists that everyone warms to; people love Anish Kapoor’s work, and they kind of gravitate towards it… I think it’s all very different,” she said.

Stressing “it doesn’t matter what level you come in at, so long as you take something away,” Devaney said it was important not to “overthink” the experience.

“There is a tendency for people to overthink what contemporary art should be and how they should respond to it… just let go of that and go in with an open mind, and people might be surprised.”

‘We respect the rules’

Earlier this year, The Shift News raised questions about MICAS’ acquisition of a €500,000 work by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone after the media outlet found it had been commissioned by Francis Sultana, a board member reportedly with existing professional connections to the artist.

And with the new art centre representing an investment of €30 million, co-financed by the EU, what assurances can Devaney give that there are proper safeguards in place to protect taxpayer money?

“I come from a museum background and charitable organisations, and I’m used to having very rigid regulations because we’re spending public money, and we take that seriously – and it’s the same here,” she said.

“The rules are there, and we absolutely abide by them and completely respect them,” said Devaney, adding “if we are able to encourage artists to come because of our connections, that’s to everyone’s benefit”.

MICAS goes abroad? 

Describing herself as a “huge proponent of touring shows and working with other institutions”, Devaney said collaborations with other art centres, including international tours of MICAS exhibitions, were “in the pipeline”. 

While not able to confirm more details, she said more developments were expected “by the middle of next year”.