New fine arts museum opens in Valletta

The opening of MUŻA is another milestone for Maltese history and culture.

The new national museum of art in Malta is a flagship project for the European Capital of Culture – Valletta 2018 and is pioneered by Heritage Malta. The chosen name, MUŻA, whilst being an acronym and the Maltese word for inspiration, is also a clear reference to muses - the mythological creatures from classic antiquity inspiring creativity.

Throughout the years the government has pushed the need for society to appreciate culture more and the museum is yet another step in this direction.

The project, Mużew Nazzjonali tal-Arti, launched during the 2018 Valletta European Capital of Culture, is not only a museum but an initiative for the future generations to appreciate and unlock past culture.

The extensive rethinking and rebranding of MUŻA was announced in December 2013. MUŻA seeks to adopt and purposely develop a participatory museum model for the arts, with particular reference to its national museum remit. By highlighting narratives, MUŻA aims to empower participants to experience, engage and co-create irrespective of knowledge levels, turning traditional museum audiences into participants. MUŻA seeks to be a significant community asset promoting social cohesion, intercultural dialogue, creativity and inspiration.

MUŻA can be seen as a hybrid of public spaces, galleries and retail facilities, equally relevant within one interconnecting weave that defines MUŻA as a national community art museum. MUŻA also serves as an art gateway to our capital city and country.

The story content of MUŻA can be classified in four parts, Mediterranean, Europe, Empire, and the Artist. The museum’s collection has well over 20,000 works of art.

This community art museum’s interpretation strategy is to be a knowledge ladder; acknowledge the museum’s visitors as participants, to have a shared museum experience as co-creators of knowledge; to recognise the diverse motivations that might inspire participants to engage with art and culture; to cultivate the ability to think critically and analytically; and to promote social bridging amongst diverse cultures and communities.

This museum runs on a new green-powered energy efficient infrastructural system to optimise the passive energy efficient features present in the historical building.

All these objectives are in relation to the experience MUŻA has to offer in its totality, including the museum’s vision, which is communicated through outreach and initiatives, which go beyond the venue.

This ambitious €10 million project was partially financed through EU funds. Minister Owen Bonnici stated, “this building is a real-life testament of our vision and legacy, which we wish to pass on to future generations.”

“In the past years, our decision making process has led to the strengthening of our investment within this sector, both in a financial way, and through more professionalisation within the sector, while we provided more space for artists and creatives, so that we keep on nurturing their talents both locally and internationally,” he continued.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said he was very pleased to be part of the inauguration of the museum, a place where the past and present come together under the same roof. It is a place where contemporary artists, foreigners and Maltese, meet to discuss new ideas within the capital city.

The museum is a space for creativity, education, as there is a variety of private collections.

Muscat said that the museum is also an infrastructural project. He said that he is aware that most people think of pavements and road works when thinking of infrastructure but MUŻA is another project that could be described as such.

Muscat said: “MUŻA is a gift to Malta on the occasion of Valletta 2018 as the European Capital of Culture. A gift for everyone. A gift for our children who as from this year will be able to bring their parents and it will be the children that will provide their parents with a free entry, not the other way round. Now we have a place in our capital city, which truly does justice to our cultural scene as a people, despite being the smallest state in the European Union and also one of the smallest in the world.”