L-Ispazju Internazzjonali tal-Arti Kontemporanja ta’ Malta (MICAS) fetaħ il-bibien tiegħu għall-pubbliku lejn l-aħħar tal-2024, sabiex issaħħaħ l-infrastruttura kulturali ta’ Malta bi pjattaforma għall-arti kontemporanja u l-internazzjonalizzazzjoni tagħha.
Bi żwieġ tal-arkitettura kontemporanja tal-MICAS man-nisġa storika tal-fortifikazzjonijiet tal-Furjana tas-seklu 17, Malta għamlet pass kbir ‘il quddiem biex issir attur proattiv fid-dinja tal-arti kontemporanja internazzjonali. Il-wirja tal-ftuħ kienet tal-artista Portugiża Joana Vasconcelos, li x-xogħlijiet tagħha ngħaqdu ma’ akkwisti oħra għall-wiri fil-MICAS, ta’ Ugo Rondinone u Conrad Shawcross.
Fis-sitt snin qabel il-ftuħ tiegħu, il-weekends tal-arti tal-MICAS kull sena ospitaw ukoll lill-artisti internazzjonali Pierre Huyghe, Cristina Iglesias, u Michele Oka Doner, xhieda tal-ambizzjonijiet tal-MICAS. Skultura tal-artist rinomat Malti Ray Pitrè, illum tilqa’ lill-viżitaturi mad-dħul fil-kumpless.
Il-missjoni tal-MICAS hija li tagħti spinta lill-ekoloġija kulturali ta’ Malta u li tħalli impatt fuq dik tar-reġjun Ewro-Mediterranju li tgħix fih.
Fi rwol tiegħu ta’ spalla għall-arti kontemporanja, il-MICAS ifittex li jqajjem kuxjenza pubblika dwar is-sinifikat tal-arti viżiva fil-ħajja kontemporanja, u jippromwovi l-mod kif l-arti u l-artisti jgħinuna fl-interpretazzjoni tad-dinja li ngħixu fiha.
Il-MICAS twettaq permezz ta’ restawr iffinanzjat mill-istat Malti tal-fortifikazzjonijiet storiċi tal-Furjana u l-kumpless antik tal-Ospizio, dar għall-fqar ta’ żmien il-Kavallieri li xi darba serviet bħala maħżen tat-polvri tan-nar għall-armi.
Il-proġett, parzjalment iffinanzjat mill-Unjoni Ewropea taħt il-Fond Ewropew għall-Iżvilupp Reġjonali – Fondi Strutturali u ta’ Investiment Ewropej 2014-2020, issa jagħti skop ġdid għall-fuq minn 6,000 metru kwadru ta’ pajsaġġ storiku, bħala spazju għall-arti u l-kultura.
Il-Furjana, il-belt li tospita l-MICAS, kienet subborg fid-daħla tal-promontorju tal-Belt Valletta li kibret mill-fortifikazzjonijiet iddiżinjati mill-inġiniera militari magħrufin Pietro Floriani u aktar tard Maurizio Valperga, Carlos de Grunenbergh, u François de Mondion matul is-sekli 17 u 18.
Il-proġett estensiv tal-MICAS kien jinkludi r-restawr tal-Bastjun u l-Kontrogwardja ta’ San Salvatore, il-Polverista Curtain, il-bastjun ta’ La Vitoria, u l-Piazza Bassa u r-Ritirata, inkluż l-arkata mxaqilba ta’ Barbara, biex jiġi kkreat kampus multidimensjonali ta’ spazji għal arti fuq ġewwa.
L-intervent kontemporanju f’dan il-pajsaġġ storiku – immexxi mill-arkitett Carlo Terpolilli tad-ditta Ipostudio ta’ Firenze – huwa mmarkat mill-istruttura emblematika tas-saqaf tal-azzar li tgħaqqad l-elementi storiċi mxerrda tas-sit, u tipprovdi djalogu kuntrastanti iżda komplementari bejn il-modernità tal-MICAS u l-fortifikazzjonijiet.
Phyllis Muscat imprenditriċi li stabbiliet lilha nnifisha bħala waħda mill-amministraturi ewlenin f’Malta, sew fis-settur pubbliku sew f’dak privat.
Fl-2015, Phyllis mexxiet b’suċċess it-Taskforce għal-Laqgħa tal-Kapijiet tal-Gvern tal-Commonwealth (CHOGM). Bħala Kap tat-Taskforce, kienet inkarigata mill-Gvern ta’ Malta biex tikkoordina l-arranġamenti amministrattivi u loġistiċi għall-attivitajiet kollha. Issa għandha l-kariga ta’ Direttur tal-Bord Konsultattiv tal-Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC). Tippresjedi wkoll il-Bord tal-Koordinazzjoni tal-Proġetti Kulturali (CBCP).
Fl-2025, il-MICAS ingħata wieħed mill-ogħla premjijiet tas-servizz pubbliku Malti, il-Premju tal-Proġett tas-Sena, talli wassal l-aktar destinazzjoni kulturali ġdida ta’ Malta bi programm artistiku ambizzjuż.
Fl-istess sena, il-MICAS ġie onorat ukoll bi premjijiet fil-Premjijiet biennali tal-Kunsill Malti għall-Arti kif ukoll fid-19-il Premju tal-Patrimonju Arkitettoniku Din l-Art Ħelwa. Muscat ġiet personalment rikonoxxuta mill-Kunsill tal-Arti bil-Premju tal-Viżjoni Artistika għar-rwol tagħha fit-tfassil u l-amministrazzjoni tal-kostruzzjoni tal-aktar destinazzjoni kulturali ġdida ta’ Malta.
Tul il-karriera professjonali tagħha fis-settur privat, Phyllis waqqfet bosta negozji fil-qasam tas-saħħa u tal-wellness. Kienet ukoll l-ewwel mara f’Malta li nħatret president ta’ media house ewlenija, il-ONE Group. Serviet ukoll fil-kumitat eżekuttiv tal-Maltese-American Chamber of Commerce, il-Malta Association of Women in Business u l-Action for Breast Cancer Foundation, u kienet il-kofundatriċi tal-European Confederation of Professional Beauticians and Cosmeticians (CEPEC) u l-Malta Association of Beauty Therapists (MABT).
Phyllis Muscat imprenditriċi li stabbiliet lilha nnifisha bħala waħda mill-amministraturi ewlenin f’Malta, sew fis-settur pubbliku sew f’dak privat.
Fl-2015, Phyllis mexxiet b’suċċess it-Taskforce għal-Laqgħa tal-Kapijiet tal-Gvern tal-Commonwealth (CHOGM). Bħala Kap tat-Taskforce, kienet inkarigata mill-Gvern ta’ Malta biex tikkoordina l-arranġamenti amministrattivi u loġistiċi għall-attivitajiet kollha. Issa għandha l-kariga ta’ Direttur tal-Bord Konsultattiv tal-Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC). Tippresjedi wkoll il-Bord tal-Koordinazzjoni tal-Proġetti Kulturali (CBCP).
Fl-2025, il-MICAS ingħata wieħed mill-ogħla premjijiet tas-servizz pubbliku Malti, il-Premju tal-Proġett tas-Sena, talli wassal l-aktar destinazzjoni kulturali ġdida ta’ Malta bi programm artistiku ambizzjuż.
Fl-istess sena, il-MICAS ġie onorat ukoll bi premjijiet fil-Premjijiet biennali tal-Kunsill Malti għall-Arti kif ukoll fid-19-il Premju tal-Patrimonju Arkitettoniku Din l-Art Ħelwa. Muscat ġiet personalment rikonoxxuta mill-Kunsill tal-Arti bil-Premju tal-Viżjoni Artistika għar-rwol tagħha fit-tfassil u l-amministrazzjoni tal-kostruzzjoni tal-aktar destinazzjoni kulturali ġdida ta’ Malta.
Tul il-karriera professjonali tagħha fis-settur privat, Phyllis waqqfet bosta negozji fil-qasam tas-saħħa u tal-wellness. Kienet ukoll l-ewwel mara f’Malta li nħatret president ta’ media house ewlenija, il-ONE Group. Serviet ukoll fil-kumitat eżekuttiv tal-Maltese-American Chamber of Commerce, il-Malta Association of Women in Business u l-Action for Breast Cancer Foundation, u kienet il-kofundatriċi tal-European Confederation of Professional Beauticians and Cosmeticians (CEPEC) u l-Malta Association of Beauty Therapists (MABT).
Waqas Wajahat bena l-kollezzjoni tiegħu b’impenn profond lejn l-għarfien espert, l-istudju akkademiku, u l-filantropija. Wara li studja fil-University of Pennsylvania u l-Barnes Foundation, kiseb esperjenza kuratorjali fil-Philadelphia Museum of Art u din sawritu. Permezz tagħha żviluppa għarfien espert fl-arti ta’ wara l-gwerra u dik kontemporanja.
Mill-2002 ’il hawn, serva bħala konsulent mill-qrib tal-Milton Avery Trust u s-Sally and Milton Avery Arts Foundation. Beda u għen fil-produzzjoni ta’ diversi wirijiet f’mużewijiet, fosthom surveys importanti u retrospettivi għal Milton Avery, Herbert Ferber, Neil Jenney, Alexis Rockman, Richard Pousette-Dart, James Prosek, Sean Scully, Donald Sultan, u John Walker.
Jippromwovi u jgħin istituzzjonijiet kulturali b’impenn sħiħ. Huwa l-president fundatur tal-kumitat internazzjonali tal-Malta International Contemporary Art Space (MICAS) u jservi bħala l-president tan-Norton Museum of Art. Huwa fiduċjarju tad-Drawing Center u l-Morris Museum, u huwa membru ta’ kumitati konsultattivi u ta’ kollezzjonijiet tal-Barnes Foundation, fil-Philadelphia Museum of Art, u n-National Gallery of Art ta’ Washington, D.C.
Fir-Renju Unit, huwa membru tar-Royal Academy of Arts’ Chair Circle, patrun fundatur tal-Goodwood Art Foundation, u membru tal-Bord ta’ Kampanji ta’ Courtauld.
Matul dawn l-aħħar għaxar snin, iffoka esklużivament fuq il-kollezzjonar tiegħu, b’enfażi fuq l-artisti nisa, il-minjaturi Indjani tal-perjodu ta’ Mughal, u għamara minn nofs is-seklu.
In 2018 Francis was announced as an Ambassador of Culture for Malta. He supports many of Malta’s main cultural entities especially MICAS, Malta’s new museum space which opens in 2024. MICAS will house Malta’s contemporary art & design collection and will support local contemporary art but will also focus on attracting international cultural institutions, artists, educational programmes, and touring exhibitions to Malta. He is also very engaged in supporting new cultural tourism to Malta as part of his endeavours to strengthen both Malta’s local arts sector and its perception internationally.
Having co-founded the Design Fund for the Victoria & Albert Museum, Francis now sits on the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Advisory Council. He is co-head of the Cultural and Social Affairs Committee of the Serpentine Galleries and sits on the International Council also. He is a member of the International Council for the Design Museum, London. He is Co-President of the Jury of PAD London and is also a member of the jury for PAD Paris.
The atelier produces annual collections of bespoke and limited-edition furniture and textiles under the Francis Sultana brand. Francis designs furniture, lighting and accessories and has created key pieces for important historical interiors such as Spencer House and historical work with The National Trust. Francis’s own work is known for his use of noble materials such as bronze, rock crystal and straw marquetry and bespoke fabrics. The studio strives to support artisanal skills and techniques from around the UK and Europe throughout its work.
This year will see the launch of Francis’s hotel project for Oetker Collection with the refurbishment of the iconic Hotel La Palma in Capri. With collaborations including Reuben Brothers on a series of projects being announced later this Spring his new projects have been highly praised in the announcements from press globally of top hospitality for 2023.
Francis is currently collaborating on collections with some of Europe’s finest luxury brands including Bonacina and Ginori1735 in Italy and Galerie Diurne in France. Savoir & The Conran Shop in the United Kingdom and further new announcements of collections to be announced in April.
In 2019 Francis published his first large format book, Francis Sultana: Designs & Interiors, published worldwide by Vendôme and edited by Bronwyn Cosgrave. The book celebrates the career of Francis to date, as well as celebrating the designers and artists that have inspired him throughout his life. A new book is currently in production charting Francis’s custodianship of the Hunting Lodge, the landmark historic house and garden and former residence of the late British interior designer John Fowler.
Francis Sultana will open this autumn, Francis Sultana Home a new chapter in interior design retail which will showcase the breadth of the FS vision in the decorative and Fine Arts.
In 2018 Francis was announced as an Ambassador of Culture for Malta. He supports many of Malta’s main cultural entities especially MICAS, Malta’s new museum space which opens in 2024. MICAS will house Malta’s contemporary art & design collection and will support local contemporary art but will also focus on attracting international cultural institutions, artists, educational programmes, and touring exhibitions to Malta. He is also very engaged in supporting new cultural tourism to Malta as part of his endeavours to strengthen both Malta’s local arts sector and its perception internationally.
Having co-founded the Design Fund for the Victoria & Albert Museum, Francis now sits on the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Advisory Council. He is co-head of the Cultural and Social Affairs Committee of the Serpentine Galleries and sits on the International Council also. He is a member of the International Council for the Design Museum, London. He is Co-President of the Jury of PAD London and is also a member of the jury for PAD Paris.
The atelier produces annual collections of bespoke and limited-edition furniture and textiles under the Francis Sultana brand. Francis designs furniture, lighting and accessories and has created key pieces for important historical interiors such as Spencer House and historical work with The National Trust. Francis’s own work is known for his use of noble materials such as bronze, rock crystal and straw marquetry and bespoke fabrics. The studio strives to support artisanal skills and techniques from around the UK and Europe throughout its work.
This year will see the launch of Francis’s hotel project for Oetker Collection with the refurbishment of the iconic Hotel La Palma in Capri. With collaborations including Reuben Brothers on a series of projects being announced later this Spring his new projects have been highly praised in the announcements from press globally of top hospitality for 2023.
Francis is currently collaborating on collections with some of Europe’s finest luxury brands including Bonacina and Ginori1735 in Italy and Galerie Diurne in France. Savoir & The Conran Shop in the United Kingdom and further new announcements of collections to be announced in April.
In 2019 Francis published his first large format book, Francis Sultana: Designs & Interiors, published worldwide by Vendôme and edited by Bronwyn Cosgrave. The book celebrates the career of Francis to date, as well as celebrating the designers and artists that have inspired him throughout his life. A new book is currently in production charting Francis’s custodianship of the Hunting Lodge, the landmark historic house and garden and former residence of the late British interior designer John Fowler.
Francis Sultana will open this autumn, Francis Sultana Home a new chapter in interior design retail which will showcase the breadth of the FS vision in the decorative and Fine Arts.
Georgina Portelli speċjalista fil-formazzjoni tal-kunċetti, ir-rappreżentazzjoni tal-lingwa u l-multilingwiżmu, u għandha PhD (Psych) mill-Università ta’ Londra. Ħadmet estensivament fl-oqsma tal-edukazzjoni, il-komunikazzjoni u l-iżvilupp tal-kunċetti, kif ukoll fis-settur kulturali u kreattiv bħala riċerkatriċi, editriċi u konsulenta. Bħala kuratriċi indipendenti, għandha interess speċjali fl-arti interattiva, il-memorja u l-konfini nnegozjati tal-innifsi, l-alterità radikali u l-politika tal-ispustament. Xogħolha bħalissa jikkonċentra fuq l-istudji tad-dijaspora u l-memorja, il-kultura għall-inklużjoni soċjali, l-isponsorizzazzjoni għall-arti, u l-ħolqien ta’ sħubijiet kreattivi bejn l-arti, ix-xjenza u dixxiplini oħrajn.
Georgina bħalissa hi l-president tal-Creativity Trust Fund u membru fuq il-bord tal-Fondazzjoni Kreattività ta’ Spazju Kreattiv. Tappoġġja attivament il-kreattività u l-arti kontemporanja, u hi membru fundatur ta’ ISTRA, fondazzjoni tal-arti kontemporanja u tar-riċerka li tagħha hi l-ko-president għar-riċerka.
In 2018 Francis was announced as an Ambassador of Culture for Malta. He supports many of Malta’s main cultural entities especially MICAS, Malta’s new museum space which opens in 2024. MICAS will house Malta’s contemporary art & design collection and will support local contemporary art but will also focus on attracting international cultural institutions, artists, educational programmes, and touring exhibitions to Malta. He is also very engaged in supporting new cultural tourism to Malta as part of his endeavours to strengthen both Malta’s local arts sector and its perception internationally.
Having co-founded the Design Fund for the Victoria & Albert Museum, Francis now sits on the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Advisory Council. He is co-head of the Cultural and Social Affairs Committee of the Serpentine Galleries and sits on the International Council also. He is a member of the International Council for the Design Museum, London. He is Co-President of the Jury of PAD London and is also a member of the jury for PAD Paris.
The atelier produces annual collections of bespoke and limited-edition furniture and textiles under the Francis Sultana brand. Francis designs furniture, lighting and accessories and has created key pieces for important historical interiors such as Spencer House and historical work with The National Trust. Francis’s own work is known for his use of noble materials such as bronze, rock crystal and straw marquetry and bespoke fabrics. The studio strives to support artisanal skills and techniques from around the UK and Europe throughout its work.
This year will see the launch of Francis’s hotel project for Oetker Collection with the refurbishment of the iconic Hotel La Palma in Capri. With collaborations including Reuben Brothers on a series of projects being announced later this Spring his new projects have been highly praised in the announcements from press globally of top hospitality for 2023.
Francis is currently collaborating on collections with some of Europe’s finest luxury brands including Bonacina and Ginori1735 in Italy and Galerie Diurne in France. Savoir & The Conran Shop in the United Kingdom and further new announcements of collections to be announced in April.
In 2019 Francis published his first large format book, Francis Sultana: Designs & Interiors, published worldwide by Vendôme and edited by Bronwyn Cosgrave. The book celebrates the career of Francis to date, as well as celebrating the designers and artists that have inspired him throughout his life. A new book is currently in production charting Francis’s custodianship of the Hunting Lodge, the landmark historic house and garden and former residence of the late British interior designer John Fowler.
Francis Sultana will open this autumn, Francis Sultana Home a new chapter in interior design retail which will showcase the breadth of the FS vision in the decorative and Fine Arts.
Floriana’s Balzunetta district will soon be hosting Malta’s new contemporary art space. The Malta International Contemporary Art Space, MICAS, will be realised through the repurposing of the Old Ospizio and the Ritirata sites. These are located within the magnificent Floriana Lines overlooking Marsamxett Harbour.
The Old Ospizio, situated on the Polverista Curtain next to the Msida Bastion Cemetery, sits directly below the Police Headquarters. It can be reached by walking down Vincenzo Dimech Road past the Inland Revenue Department and on through the Polverista Gate. This historic landscape has a layered and interesting narrative.
In 1634, the main gunpowder magazine, located in Strada San Jacopo in Valletta, exploded, causing the tragic death of 22 people and significant damage to the neighbourhood, including the nearby Jesuits’ Church. The manufacture of gunpowder was essential for the defence of the island and its maritime economy, and so the Knights, keen to move volatile gunpowder production out of the city away from inhabited areas. They eventually built a new gunpowder factory on barren land in Floriana along the curtain wall to the north of the La Vitoria Bastion on the Marsamxett side of the harbour. The fortification curtain wall became henceforth known as the Polverista Curtain.
The new polverista designed by the military engineer Blondel des Croisettes in 1665 had three windmills for grinding and manufacturing the gunpowder and was fully functional by 1667. By the 1720s however, this industry was in the hands of Maltese entrepreneurs in other locations on the island and in 1729 the old polverista and a number of the barrel vaults or casemates were repurposed into the first state-run institution for the care of the elderly and the infirm by order of Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena. He also ordered the military engineer Charles François de Mondion to excavate a water cistern and to create a space for a kitchen garden. The repurposed polverista building was however not quite fit for purpose, being rather dank and gloomy with two lower level basements that overall proved too small for demand. In 1732, Grand Master de Vilhena had added new buildings to the site, as well as a fountain. The new improved hospice or Casa di Carità housed around 380 residents a year.
The Casa di Carità was run by an administrative committee while the staff included a surgeon with the responsibility of overseeing the medical needs of the residents, initially elderly men and women who were destitute or infirm. The institution became formally known as l’ Ospizio in 1785 when Grand Master de Rohan issued a set of regulations for the management of the institution. These regulations remained in force until 1816. Those residents that were strong enough to work were given various jobs.
In 1798, during the Napoleonic period, penitents or reformed prostitutes from the Magdalen Asylum at lower St. Elmo, Valletta, were transferred to the Ospizio. In the early 19th century, during the British colonial period, the foundlings, previously cared for at the Holy Infirmary in Valletta, as well as female prisoners, were all sent to the Ospizio. Male and female patients with mental health problems were also relocated to the Ospizio in 1816. In short, the Ospizio became a multipurpose institution that had to cater for the elderly, for orphans, illegitimate children, abandoned infants, the mentally ill and female prisoners. It was also at the Ospizio, in 1837, that Dr. S. Axisa, a Maltese doctor, diagnosed the first cases of the Cholera epidemic that had started in India in 1817 and then swept across the globe.
When the new Asylum for the Aged and the Infirm was opened at Ngiered in 1892, the present-day St. Vincent de Paule Residence, the Ospizio ceased to function as a hospice and closed its doors in October of the same year. The site was transferred to the British Army Ordinance Department. During World War 1 (1914-1918), when Malta received the wounded from the Mediterranean theatre of war, the Ospizio workshops helped the war effort by manufacturing hospital furniture and other medical items such as splints and crutches.
Malta suffered heavily from Axis bombardment during World War II. The Ospizio was hit in several air raids carried out by Italian and German bombers targeting the Floriana barracks, Msida Creek and Manoel Island on the Marsamxett Harbour side. After Independence in 1964, the British Forces gradually handed over the military buildings to the Maltese government and by the early 1970s the Ospizio complex served as a store for Enemalta and also housed a trade school. In 1997, the Restoration Directorate set up its offices in the casemated vaults of the Polverista Curtain and in 2017 the MICAS administrative offices were housed in the old Polverista buildings on Joseph J. Mangion Street.
References
Pisani, S. (1970). The Malta Cholera Epidemic in 1837. The St. Luke`s Hospital Gazette, 5(2), 150-156.
Savona-Ventura Charles (2004) Knight Hospitaller Medicine in Malta (1530-1798).P.E.G. Ltd. Malta.
Spiteri, Stephen C. (2012). “Arx Occasional Papers – Hospitaller Gunpowder Magazines”. MilitaryArchitecture.com.
The MICAS project footprint extends further down along the Polverista Curtain to the La Vittoria Bastion, the adjacent Ritirata and San Salvatore Counterguard with its spectacular arcone, or skew arch. The MICAS indoor galleries will be housed within the Ritirata, an inner line of defence consisting of an inner trench and parapet that guarded against the loss of the outer defences, and as its Italian military term denotes, provided a safe passage for defending troops in retreat.
Pietro Floriani designed the new fortifications intended to guard Valletta from the landward side in 1635. It had become clear however that there were weak points in his design, particularly on the bastion of Provence, also known as the San Salvatore Bastion. The Italian military engineer Count Antonio Maurizio Valperga was tasked in 1670 with reinforcing the fortifications to the north of the Polverista Curtain. Valperga constructed a new casemated bastion known as La Vittoria and a bassoforte or counterguard named la Conceptione, also known as the San Salvatore Counterguard. Valperga also enlarged the dry moat of the Ritirata to protect the inner bastion of San Salvatore. These new alterations provided better enfilading cover fire by the defending guns in case of an attack. Valperga also suggested a breach in the San Salvatore Counterguard in the form of a large vaulted skewed arc. The resultant arch is a spectacular and iconic construction that spans around nine meters over the Ritirata ditch. It is attributed to the Maltese capomastro Giovanni Barbara and is considered one of the finest examples of a masonry skewed arch.
Phyllis Muscat imprenditriċi li stabbiliet lilha nnifisha bħala waħda mill-amministraturi ewlenin f’Malta, sew fis-settur pubbliku sew f’dak privat.
Fl-2015, Phyllis mexxiet b’suċċess it-Taskforce għal-Laqgħa tal-Kapijiet tal-Gvern tal-Commonwealth (CHOGM). Bħala Kap tat-Taskforce, kienet inkarigata mill-Gvern ta’ Malta biex tikkoordina l-arranġamenti amministrattivi u loġistiċi għall-attivitajiet kollha. Issa għandha l-kariga ta’ Direttur tal-Bord Konsultattiv tal-Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC). Tippresjedi wkoll il-Bord tal-Koordinazzjoni tal-Proġetti Kulturali (CBCP).
Fl-2025, il-MICAS ingħata wieħed mill-ogħla premjijiet tas-servizz pubbliku Malti, il-Premju tal-Proġett tas-Sena, talli wassal l-aktar destinazzjoni kulturali ġdida ta’ Malta bi programm artistiku ambizzjuż.
Fl-istess sena, il-MICAS ġie onorat ukoll bi premjijiet fil-Premjijiet biennali tal-Kunsill Malti għall-Arti kif ukoll fid-19-il Premju tal-Patrimonju Arkitettoniku Din l-Art Ħelwa. Muscat ġiet personalment rikonoxxuta mill-Kunsill tal-Arti bil-Premju tal-Viżjoni Artistika għar-rwol tagħha fit-tfassil u l-amministrazzjoni tal-kostruzzjoni tal-aktar destinazzjoni kulturali ġdida ta’ Malta.
Tul il-karriera professjonali tagħha fis-settur privat, Phyllis waqqfet bosta negozji fil-qasam tas-saħħa u tal-wellness. Kienet ukoll l-ewwel mara f’Malta li nħatret president ta’ media house ewlenija, il-ONE Group. Serviet ukoll fil-kumitat eżekuttiv tal-Maltese-American Chamber of Commerce, il-Malta Association of Women in Business u l-Action for Breast Cancer Foundation, u kienet il-kofundatriċi tal-European Confederation of Professional Beauticians and Cosmeticians (CEPEC) u l-Malta Association of Beauty Therapists (MABT).
Phyllis Muscat imprenditriċi li stabbiliet lilha nnifisha bħala waħda mill-amministraturi ewlenin f’Malta, sew fis-settur pubbliku sew f’dak privat.
Fl-2015, Phyllis mexxiet b’suċċess it-Taskforce għal-Laqgħa tal-Kapijiet tal-Gvern tal-Commonwealth (CHOGM). Bħala Kap tat-Taskforce, kienet inkarigata mill-Gvern ta’ Malta biex tikkoordina l-arranġamenti amministrattivi u loġistiċi għall-attivitajiet kollha. Issa għandha l-kariga ta’ Direttur tal-Bord Konsultattiv tal-Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC). Tippresjedi wkoll il-Bord tal-Koordinazzjoni tal-Proġetti Kulturali (CBCP).
Fl-2025, il-MICAS ingħata wieħed mill-ogħla premjijiet tas-servizz pubbliku Malti, il-Premju tal-Proġett tas-Sena, talli wassal l-aktar destinazzjoni kulturali ġdida ta’ Malta bi programm artistiku ambizzjuż.
Fl-istess sena, il-MICAS ġie onorat ukoll bi premjijiet fil-Premjijiet biennali tal-Kunsill Malti għall-Arti kif ukoll fid-19-il Premju tal-Patrimonju Arkitettoniku Din l-Art Ħelwa. Muscat ġiet personalment rikonoxxuta mill-Kunsill tal-Arti bil-Premju tal-Viżjoni Artistika għar-rwol tagħha fit-tfassil u l-amministrazzjoni tal-kostruzzjoni tal-aktar destinazzjoni kulturali ġdida ta’ Malta.
Tul il-karriera professjonali tagħha fis-settur privat, Phyllis waqqfet bosta negozji fil-qasam tas-saħħa u tal-wellness. Kienet ukoll l-ewwel mara f’Malta li nħatret president ta’ media house ewlenija, il-ONE Group. Serviet ukoll fil-kumitat eżekuttiv tal-Maltese-American Chamber of Commerce, il-Malta Association of Women in Business u l-Action for Breast Cancer Foundation, u kienet il-kofundatriċi tal-European Confederation of Professional Beauticians and Cosmeticians (CEPEC) u l-Malta Association of Beauty Therapists (MABT).
Waqas Wajahat bena l-kollezzjoni tiegħu b’impenn profond lejn l-għarfien espert, l-istudju akkademiku, u l-filantropija. Wara li studja fil-University of Pennsylvania u l-Barnes Foundation, kiseb esperjenza kuratorjali fil-Philadelphia Museum of Art u din sawritu. Permezz tagħha żviluppa għarfien espert fl-arti ta’ wara l-gwerra u dik kontemporanja.
Mill-2002 ’il hawn, serva bħala konsulent mill-qrib tal-Milton Avery Trust u s-Sally and Milton Avery Arts Foundation. Beda u għen fil-produzzjoni ta’ diversi wirijiet f’mużewijiet, fosthom surveys importanti u retrospettivi għal Milton Avery, Herbert Ferber, Neil Jenney, Alexis Rockman, Richard Pousette-Dart, James Prosek, Sean Scully, Donald Sultan, u John Walker.
Jippromwovi u jgħin istituzzjonijiet kulturali b’impenn sħiħ. Huwa l-president fundatur tal-kumitat internazzjonali tal-Malta International Contemporary Art Space (MICAS) u jservi bħala l-president tan-Norton Museum of Art. Huwa fiduċjarju tad-Drawing Center u l-Morris Museum, u huwa membru ta’ kumitati konsultattivi u ta’ kollezzjonijiet tal-Barnes Foundation, fil-Philadelphia Museum of Art, u n-National Gallery of Art ta’ Washington, D.C.
Fir-Renju Unit, huwa membru tar-Royal Academy of Arts’ Chair Circle, patrun fundatur tal-Goodwood Art Foundation, u membru tal-Bord ta’ Kampanji ta’ Courtauld.
Matul dawn l-aħħar għaxar snin, iffoka esklużivament fuq il-kollezzjonar tiegħu, b’enfażi fuq l-artisti nisa, il-minjaturi Indjani tal-perjodu ta’ Mughal, u għamara minn nofs is-seklu.
In 2018 Francis was announced as an Ambassador of Culture for Malta. He supports many of Malta’s main cultural entities especially MICAS, Malta’s new museum space which opens in 2024. MICAS will house Malta’s contemporary art & design collection and will support local contemporary art but will also focus on attracting international cultural institutions, artists, educational programmes, and touring exhibitions to Malta. He is also very engaged in supporting new cultural tourism to Malta as part of his endeavours to strengthen both Malta’s local arts sector and its perception internationally.
Having co-founded the Design Fund for the Victoria & Albert Museum, Francis now sits on the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Advisory Council. He is co-head of the Cultural and Social Affairs Committee of the Serpentine Galleries and sits on the International Council also. He is a member of the International Council for the Design Museum, London. He is Co-President of the Jury of PAD London and is also a member of the jury for PAD Paris.
The atelier produces annual collections of bespoke and limited-edition furniture and textiles under the Francis Sultana brand. Francis designs furniture, lighting and accessories and has created key pieces for important historical interiors such as Spencer House and historical work with The National Trust. Francis’s own work is known for his use of noble materials such as bronze, rock crystal and straw marquetry and bespoke fabrics. The studio strives to support artisanal skills and techniques from around the UK and Europe throughout its work.
This year will see the launch of Francis’s hotel project for Oetker Collection with the refurbishment of the iconic Hotel La Palma in Capri. With collaborations including Reuben Brothers on a series of projects being announced later this Spring his new projects have been highly praised in the announcements from press globally of top hospitality for 2023.
Francis is currently collaborating on collections with some of Europe’s finest luxury brands including Bonacina and Ginori1735 in Italy and Galerie Diurne in France. Savoir & The Conran Shop in the United Kingdom and further new announcements of collections to be announced in April.
In 2019 Francis published his first large format book, Francis Sultana: Designs & Interiors, published worldwide by Vendôme and edited by Bronwyn Cosgrave. The book celebrates the career of Francis to date, as well as celebrating the designers and artists that have inspired him throughout his life. A new book is currently in production charting Francis’s custodianship of the Hunting Lodge, the landmark historic house and garden and former residence of the late British interior designer John Fowler.
Francis Sultana will open this autumn, Francis Sultana Home a new chapter in interior design retail which will showcase the breadth of the FS vision in the decorative and Fine Arts.
In 2018 Francis was announced as an Ambassador of Culture for Malta. He supports many of Malta’s main cultural entities especially MICAS, Malta’s new museum space which opens in 2024. MICAS will house Malta’s contemporary art & design collection and will support local contemporary art but will also focus on attracting international cultural institutions, artists, educational programmes, and touring exhibitions to Malta. He is also very engaged in supporting new cultural tourism to Malta as part of his endeavours to strengthen both Malta’s local arts sector and its perception internationally.
Having co-founded the Design Fund for the Victoria & Albert Museum, Francis now sits on the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Advisory Council. He is co-head of the Cultural and Social Affairs Committee of the Serpentine Galleries and sits on the International Council also. He is a member of the International Council for the Design Museum, London. He is Co-President of the Jury of PAD London and is also a member of the jury for PAD Paris.
The atelier produces annual collections of bespoke and limited-edition furniture and textiles under the Francis Sultana brand. Francis designs furniture, lighting and accessories and has created key pieces for important historical interiors such as Spencer House and historical work with The National Trust. Francis’s own work is known for his use of noble materials such as bronze, rock crystal and straw marquetry and bespoke fabrics. The studio strives to support artisanal skills and techniques from around the UK and Europe throughout its work.
This year will see the launch of Francis’s hotel project for Oetker Collection with the refurbishment of the iconic Hotel La Palma in Capri. With collaborations including Reuben Brothers on a series of projects being announced later this Spring his new projects have been highly praised in the announcements from press globally of top hospitality for 2023.
Francis is currently collaborating on collections with some of Europe’s finest luxury brands including Bonacina and Ginori1735 in Italy and Galerie Diurne in France. Savoir & The Conran Shop in the United Kingdom and further new announcements of collections to be announced in April.
In 2019 Francis published his first large format book, Francis Sultana: Designs & Interiors, published worldwide by Vendôme and edited by Bronwyn Cosgrave. The book celebrates the career of Francis to date, as well as celebrating the designers and artists that have inspired him throughout his life. A new book is currently in production charting Francis’s custodianship of the Hunting Lodge, the landmark historic house and garden and former residence of the late British interior designer John Fowler.
Francis Sultana will open this autumn, Francis Sultana Home a new chapter in interior design retail which will showcase the breadth of the FS vision in the decorative and Fine Arts.
Georgina Portelli speċjalista fil-formazzjoni tal-kunċetti, ir-rappreżentazzjoni tal-lingwa u l-multilingwiżmu, u għandha PhD (Psych) mill-Università ta’ Londra. Ħadmet estensivament fl-oqsma tal-edukazzjoni, il-komunikazzjoni u l-iżvilupp tal-kunċetti, kif ukoll fis-settur kulturali u kreattiv bħala riċerkatriċi, editriċi u konsulenta. Bħala kuratriċi indipendenti, għandha interess speċjali fl-arti interattiva, il-memorja u l-konfini nnegozjati tal-innifsi, l-alterità radikali u l-politika tal-ispustament. Xogħolha bħalissa jikkonċentra fuq l-istudji tad-dijaspora u l-memorja, il-kultura għall-inklużjoni soċjali, l-isponsorizzazzjoni għall-arti, u l-ħolqien ta’ sħubijiet kreattivi bejn l-arti, ix-xjenza u dixxiplini oħrajn.
Georgina bħalissa hi l-president tal-Creativity Trust Fund u membru fuq il-bord tal-Fondazzjoni Kreattività ta’ Spazju Kreattiv. Tappoġġja attivament il-kreattività u l-arti kontemporanja, u hi membru fundatur ta’ ISTRA, fondazzjoni tal-arti kontemporanja u tar-riċerka li tagħha hi l-ko-president għar-riċerka.
In 2018 Francis was announced as an Ambassador of Culture for Malta. He supports many of Malta’s main cultural entities especially MICAS, Malta’s new museum space which opens in 2024. MICAS will house Malta’s contemporary art & design collection and will support local contemporary art but will also focus on attracting international cultural institutions, artists, educational programmes, and touring exhibitions to Malta. He is also very engaged in supporting new cultural tourism to Malta as part of his endeavours to strengthen both Malta’s local arts sector and its perception internationally.
Having co-founded the Design Fund for the Victoria & Albert Museum, Francis now sits on the Victoria & Albert Museum’s Advisory Council. He is co-head of the Cultural and Social Affairs Committee of the Serpentine Galleries and sits on the International Council also. He is a member of the International Council for the Design Museum, London. He is Co-President of the Jury of PAD London and is also a member of the jury for PAD Paris.
The atelier produces annual collections of bespoke and limited-edition furniture and textiles under the Francis Sultana brand. Francis designs furniture, lighting and accessories and has created key pieces for important historical interiors such as Spencer House and historical work with The National Trust. Francis’s own work is known for his use of noble materials such as bronze, rock crystal and straw marquetry and bespoke fabrics. The studio strives to support artisanal skills and techniques from around the UK and Europe throughout its work.
This year will see the launch of Francis’s hotel project for Oetker Collection with the refurbishment of the iconic Hotel La Palma in Capri. With collaborations including Reuben Brothers on a series of projects being announced later this Spring his new projects have been highly praised in the announcements from press globally of top hospitality for 2023.
Francis is currently collaborating on collections with some of Europe’s finest luxury brands including Bonacina and Ginori1735 in Italy and Galerie Diurne in France. Savoir & The Conran Shop in the United Kingdom and further new announcements of collections to be announced in April.
In 2019 Francis published his first large format book, Francis Sultana: Designs & Interiors, published worldwide by Vendôme and edited by Bronwyn Cosgrave. The book celebrates the career of Francis to date, as well as celebrating the designers and artists that have inspired him throughout his life. A new book is currently in production charting Francis’s custodianship of the Hunting Lodge, the landmark historic house and garden and former residence of the late British interior designer John Fowler.
Francis Sultana will open this autumn, Francis Sultana Home a new chapter in interior design retail which will showcase the breadth of the FS vision in the decorative and Fine Arts.
