The Malta International Contemporary Art Space has celebrated a week of national success, having been honoured with prizes at the biennial Arts Council Malta Awards as well as at the 19^th Din l-Art Ħelwa Architectural Heritage Awards.

MICAS executive chairperson Phyllis Muscat was toasted by the Arts Council with the Artistic Vision Award for her role in conceiving and stewarding the construction of Malta’s newest cultural destination.

The award recognises Muscat for having delivered MICAS to fruition, with an ambitious artistic programme that placed Maltese art on an international stage, brought celebrated artists like Joana Vasconcelos to Malta, and continues providing world-class contemporary art exhibitions inside the stunning museum that is MICAS.

“The collective will to build this institution even well before it was even physically ready, was the force that powered this ambitious programme of contemporary art,” Muscat told the Arts Council Awards audience.

“MICAS is the proof that small nations can dream big, and that’s why this prize is not mine alone: it’s for everyone who believed and worked hard for MICAS to become what it is today.”

The Arts Awards  are a celebration of the main achievements of Maltese culture and creative industries. Launched in 2017, The Arts Awards aims at rewarding individuals that stood out throughout their career and who gave valuable contribution to culture and creativity. The Award also seeks to acknowledge and reward excellent work, which stands out more than others. To this end, ten prizes will be awarded on a competitive basis and four non-competitive awards.

The awards consisted of 14 competition categories and seven individual honours. The public was asked to participate with their vote in four categories.

Culture and arts minister Owen Bonnici said this year’s edition was the biggest yet of the awards, mirroring a growing arts ecosystem.

MICAS also won three major honours at the Din l-Art Ħelwa Architectural Heritage Awards, which recognised its architectural vision for its intervention at the Floriana Lines.

MICAS was honoured with the Major Regeneration Project and Restoration and Conservation of Buildings awards, which was presented to MICAS deputy chairperson Dr Georgina Portelli together with Mariello Spiteri, EMDP Ltd, Ipostudio Architetti with Prof. Carlo Terpolilli, and the Restoration and Preservation Department represented by Architect Norbert Gatt.

Additionally, MICAS was also honoured with the Judge Maurice Caruana Curran Award.

The Judge Maurice Caruana Curran Award, named after DLĦ’s founder, was awarded to the best winner overall in all categories.

“MICAS was rightfully judged on the quality of work executed, its historic, cultural, educational and social relevance, as well as preliminary research, and the aesthetic and visual merit and environmental considerations. This validation confirms that MICAS embarked on the right direction from the get-go, and instead of choosing a high-profile landmark based on spectacle, our thoughtful model, rooted in sustainability and local context, has won the hearts of many,” Muscat said.

The DLĦ Architectural Heritage Awards Competition is an esteemed initiative dedicated to recognising outstanding contributions to Malta’s architectural landscape and heritage conservation.

Other awardees were Teatru Salesjan (Chris Briffa Architects) and Stilla San Lazzru (Valentino Architects), with the Rehabilitation and Re-use of Buildings Award, as well as a commendation for Dar Tereza (Local Office for Architecture); and Restoration and Conservation Projects, which was also awarded to MICAS, with a commendation for the Grand Master’s Palace Regeneration scheme (Perit David Zahra, Restoration and Preservation Department MCLG).

“This was a remarkable year for local heritage projects. Over two days, we visited twelve schemes that pay testimony to the initiative, precision and creative thinking of architects working in Malta and Gozo within heritage contexts,” the DLĦ jury said on the awards.

“Our biggest takeaway this year was around the regenerative potential of heritage schemes… demonstrating that the power of conserving heritage lies not just in environmental and cultural value, but in an ability to give a home to public encounter, collective memory, and shared futures.”