Housed within a compound of former military fortresses facing Marsamxett Harbour, Malta International Contemporary Art Space (MICAS) opened its doors on October 27th, becoming the first contemporary art museum in the country. The inaugural exhibition welcomes Joana Vasconcelos’ monumental installations, which harmonize perfectly with the museum’s historic architecture and light-filled galleries.
This landmark exhibition marks a significant moment for both MICAS and the international art scene, as it heralds the beginning of a two-year program designed to establish Malta as a global hub for contemporary art. Following Vasconcelos’ exhibition, future showcases will feature works by iconic artists such as Milton Avery and Reggie Burrows Hodges, merging global perspectives with Malta’s unique cultural and historical heritage.
Phyllis Muscat, CEO and Chair of the MICAS Board, shared her enthusiasm for the museum’s upcoming program: “We are proud that our program establishes an identity for MICAS in a crowded global art scene while reaffirming our artistic independence. This sets MICAS apart from other government-funded cultural organizations and aligns us with international not-for-profit museums.”
Vasconcelos, reflecting on the opening exhibition, as Vasconcelos declared: “It is really an honour and a privilege to be the first artist to present an exhibition that will be opening MICAS, not only because of the incredible contemporary art program, but also because of the amazing historical background of Malta, regarding women as artists, connected to the old temples and contemporary culture. I am really delighted to do this wonderful show in Malta.”
Transcending the domestic juxtaposes iconic works such as Tree of Life, The Garden of Eden, and Valkyrie Mumbet with other installations that explore the tensions between everyday life and the search for emotional and spiritual release. Garden of Eden, for example, turns a garden – usually the crowning glory of a house where domestic life meets nature – into a fabricated, mechanical space.The installation uses artificial flowers emerging from cylinders coated in black Lycra, inside of which lights, synchronous motors and transparent polychrome discs rotate, activating a light conducting effect. The mechanism generates stunning color variations and an illusion of movement resembling insects or a light breeze. This artificial beauty is an illusion, a metaphor for the way through which mankind has overwhelmed nature. A garden becomes no more a place for contemplation or mental refreshment, but only an “Air-Conditioned Nightmare,” to quote Henry Miller.
A NEW CONCEPT OF THE DOMESTIC DIMENSION
Oh, jewels and binoculars hang from the head of the mule // but these visions of Johanna, they make it all seem so cruel […] Inside the museums, infinity goes up on trial // voices echo, this is what salvation must be like after a while. Bob Dylan’s pseudo-surrealistic verses from Visions of Johanna offer a way to engage with an immersive and stunning exhibition. The display plays with colors, shapes, and sizes to create a breaking point with themes of gender and cultural politics. Vasconcelos’ large-scale, immersive installations overturn traditional perceptions of women and their roles, inviting public opinion to reflect on sexism, consumerism, and other uncomfortable topics that chauvinistic society cowardly prefers to forget.
The domestic dimension is subverted in particular in the Loft installation, reproducing a normal flat, with a kitchen, living room, two bedrooms and bathroom. Strange, indefinable objects and shapes emerging from the walls create a feeling of discomfort and unease. This gives the impression that the space rebels against the rigid structure of social boundaries, which often start inside families. As Vasconcelos has recently declared in a public interview, “The art world remains very male-oriented and, therefore, while there will be women artists who don’t earn as much or are given the same opportunities as men are, we need to continue to pursue the feminist fight..” This is why her inquiry begins with the private dimension of the home, where men and women should share duties and responsibilities. This social ideal has yet to be realized, as showcased by the many cases of violence (psychological and physical) against women behind domestic walls, which highlight our shameful reality.
Vasconcelos’ large-scale, immersive installations overturn traditional perceptions of women and their roles, inviting public opinion to reflect on sexism, consumerism, and other uncomfortable topics that chauvinistic society cowardly prefers to forget.
THE STRENGTH OF THE FEMININE SOUL
Among the artist’s most seminal works are her colossal Valkyries, inspired by female warriors from Norse mythology. Valkyrie Mumbet, a suspended kaleidoscopic fusion of crocheted wool and cotton, passementerie, piping, stuffing, sequins, beads, feathers, tassels, and LED lights ushers the viewer into a dazzling new ecosystem. Rife with rich materials, Vasconcelos’ looming Valkyries pulse with life, taking on shapes that are visually evocative of human organs.
The work is dedicated to Elisabeth Mumbet Freeman, the first enslaved woman who, despite a lack of education and inability to read and write, gained freedom by filing a lawsuit against her master. With her legal victory in 1781, Mumbet set a precedent that led to the abolition of slavery in the state of Massachusetts, later adopting the surname Freeman. After “freeing” herself, she actively engaged in her community and began working as a maid for her lawyer, eventually managing to buy her own house in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
Valkyrie Mumbet is a celebration of freedom and a reflection on the role of the law in social change, as well as the history of the textile industry, which has long employed –and unfortunately exploited– women. Many of these women, like Elizabeth Mumbet, have struggled and continue to struggle for their rights today.
THE TREE OF LIFE
Already displayed at the château de Vincennes, just outside Paris, in 2023, the Tree of Life is a monumental tribute to nature, drawing on the tradition of Magical Realism that spans from Ferdinando Pessoa to Gabriel García Márquez. This is reflected in the fabric reproduction of the tree’s roots, which incorporate both biomorphic and zoomorphic forms. The tree, like a woman, is the beginning of everything. From this Everything, Vasconcelos creates a grand cultural mosaic: the fabrics that cover the tree are embroidered using various traditional Portuguese techniques, such as the canutilho from Viana do Castelo, the roseta, a crochet stitch common throughout the country, and the trabalho louco, a method of assembling linen fabrics typical of the Azores.
Together, they give voice to Portugal and its perspective on the world, from Africa to Latin America and the Mediterranean, from Catholicism to shamanism, from animism to Magical Realism. This dynamic syncretism speaks of equality, unity, and inclusion. With its vertical orientation, Tree of Life symbolizes the connection between Heaven and Earth. With its branches reaching upwards, the Tree is a fierce representation of women’s strength and resilience. In MICAS, the Tree of Life is even larger than in Vincennes, allowing for a deeper appreciation yet remaining a celebration of women as goddesses of Earth and Nature – those who give birth to life and hold the keys to family education, rooted in solidarity and the preservation of traditions. It shines a spotlight on the indispensable social role that remains insufficiently recognized and awarded.
Valkyrie Mumbet is a celebration of freedom and a reflection on the role of the law in social change, as well as the history of the textile industry, which has long employed –and unfortunately exploited– women. Many of these women, like Elizabeth Mumbet, have struggled and continue to struggle for their rights today.
JOANA VASCONCELOS’ FEMINISM
As Vasconcelos recently declared to Paul Laster in an interview for Ocula Magazine, “I need to be a voice for women who don’t have one. I need to expand as much as I can to make that voice as strong and loud as I can to respect the women who don’t have the same rights, quality of life, or privileges that I have as a European woman living in Portugal.” The declaration, full of sincerity and engagement, was translated into a monumental and colorful imaginary universe reminiscent of Niki de Saint Phalle’s work. Like her, Vasconcelos is a staunch feminist and fighter for humanitarian values, challenging the Western canon of art with multiple layers of meaning. Her works incorporate objects and materials from daily life, reassembled into intricate assemblages that address feminist concerns and societal conventions. By using “simple” and typically female-associated crafts and materials–such as crochet and tampons– Vasconcelos creates grandiose installations that shatter the lines between pop culture, feminism, and the outdated conventions society clings to. Her works are bold, visceral statements about womanhood, consumerism, and chauvinistic power, with meaning revealed through irony. This mode of communication allows Vasconcelos to confront thorny and controversial themes with a playful spirit.
By using “simple” and typically female-associated crafts and materials–such as crochet and tampons– Vasconcelos creates grandiose installations that shatter the lines between pop culture, feminism, and the outdated conventions society clings to. Her works are bold, visceral statements about womanhood, consumerism, and chauvinistic power, with meaning revealed through irony.
