€13 million invested in the construction of the Malta International Contemporary Art Space

Through an investment of €13 million, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, galleries at the Malta International Contemporary Art Space (MICAS) will offer modern spaces for exhibitions and installations by local and foreign contemporary artists for workshops and other activities that bring the public closer to contemporary art, the government said.

The current phase of infrastructural work on the galleries is spread over an area of 4,000 square meters on four levels, and combines the existing historic building of the retreat with the modern iron structure.

During his visit, Minister for National Heritage Owen Bonnici said that it is important for contemporary art to be accessible to everyone.

He claimed that this project will not only put Malta on the international map of artists and followers of contemporary art, but above all it is regenerating an area the size of Floriana.

"Therefore MICAS, as a platform for contemporary art, is a project that in its entirety will democratise over 12 acres of open space, historic buildings and views that have been inaccessible for years," Bonnici said.

He said that this year the works on the galleries, together with the sculpture garden and the building that will host the entity's administrative offices, will conclude.

Parliamentary Secretary Chris Bonett said that this phase, which is the third phase of the MICAS project, has seen an investment of almost €13 million, of which €7.6 million comes from the European Regional Development Fund.

Bonett said that with this investment the country will have its first national space exclusively dedicated to contemporary art, and it will not only serve as a platform for displaying contemporary art and world-class visual culture through exhibitions and installations, but will also host a range of cultural activities and educational events.