Malta International Contemporary Art Space’s opening exhibition by Joana Vasconcelos is a core selection of installations that focus on the domestic, and will be presented alongside three major works which connect with the contemplative side of human existence – Tree of Life, The Garden of Eden and Valkyrie Mumbet. Presenting these two bodies of work together will illustrate how the challenging aspects of daily life creates a desire and need to tap into the more spiritual sides of our nature in order to find an emotional release.

Like all of Vasconcelos’s works, gender and cultural politics will be in evidence – with the materiality of the work also playing a role. Constructed with everyday non-precious materials, often associated with the domestic, Vasconcelos creates works of monumental scale and significance.

With the excavated and historic walls visible and natural light flowing throughout the spaces, the presentation of Vasconcelos’s work in the new building will also be a celebration of the completion of the heritage project and its contemporary architecture.

With a career spanning over 30 years and a huge variety of media, Joana Vasconcelos is a Portuguese visual artist recognised for her monumental sculptures and immersive installations. Her artworks are represented in major collections such as those of François Pinault, Louis Vuitton and the Rothschild Foundation, while her public artworks grace Jupiter Artland, the city of Paris or Waddesdon Manor. Present at São Paulo Biennial, Art Basel or Artgenève, for instance, she has exhibited four times at the Venice Biennale, was the first woman and youngest artist in Versailles and held important solo shows at Guggenheim Bilbao, Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Uffizi Galleries. From Lisbon to the world, she manages a studio with nearly 60 employees and her own foundation promoting art for all.