MICAS, the Malta International Contemporary Art Space, has opened A New Life Force, an exhibition of paintings by the artists Nathanaëlle Herbelin, Kemi Onabulé and Megan Rooney, curated by MICAS Artistic Director Edith Devaney.

The opening was addressed by the H.E. Myriam Spiteri Debono, President of Malta, as well as the Minister for Arts, Culture and National Heritage, MICAS executive chairperson Phyllis Muscat, and MICAS Artistic Director Edith Devaney.

In her address, H.E. Myriam Spiteri Debono underlined the importance of a cultural sector that embraces different experiences, perspectives, and forms of artistic expression. She stressed that giving greater visibility to women and their talents was essential to ensuring that the arts truly reflect the diversity of society. 

The President also highlighted the important role of institutions such as MICAS in fostering artistic dialogue, bringing together diverse voices, and strengthening the connection between Malta’s rich cultural heritage and contemporary artistic expression from around the world.

Malcolm Paul Agius Galea, Minister for Arts, Cultural and National Heritage, toasted MICAS’s ongoing development as a destination for contemporary art, as well as a platform that connected Malta with artists, institutions and audiences beyond its shores.

“As a Government, we will continue investing in culture because we recognise its value not only to our identity, but also to our social and economic development and to Malta’s international cultural presence. A New Life Force reminds us that culture is never static. It evolves, it responds, and it creates new conversations between where we come from and where we want to go.”

Phyllis Muscat, Executive Chairperson of MICAS, said the exhibition was “perhaps the most complete expression” of the museum’s guiding conviction: “that the most meaningful thing our institution can do for Malta is to bring talented international artists of every generation into genuine dialogue with the place in which they work.”

“The fact that Nathanaëlle, Kemi and Megan could find something here that altered and deepened their work is the most honest measure of what MICAS is becoming,” Muscat said.

MICAS Artistic Director Edith Devaney said viewers at MICAS’s new exhibition will recognise many aspects of Maltese culture, history and geography in the artworks – from the unique sea-reflected Mediterranean light in Megan Rooney’s large abstractions, the fauna of the islands clearly present in Kemi Onabulé’s lush landscapes, to the tradition of the Maltese ex-voto object in Nathanaëlle Herbelin’s works. “For each artist, in casting an eye on Malta, their interpretation of the country comes from a global perspective, with the collective heritage of each rooted in different continents – so that Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe are all represented here.”

A New Life Force is open at MICAS, Ospizio complex, Floriana, and runs up until 31 January, 2027.

MICAS is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10pm, with free access on Sunday and a free guided tour on Sunday at 11am. MICAS is open to 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays.