This Tiny Country Is Quietly Becoming One of the World's Hottest Art Destinations-Here's How to Experience It

"By the time the Uber dropped me off at the limestone plaza, more than 500 artists, collectors, ambassadors, and dignitaries had taken their seats, looking sharp in black tie and sparkly dresses. A ring-shaped sculpture, crafted from wheel rims and crystal whiskey glasses, shone bright like a diamond under the pink evening sky. After a speech by Malta's youthful prime minister, Robert Abela, fireworks lit up the ancient harbor to mark the grand opening of the Malta International Contemporary Art Space, or MICAS."

"The glass-and-steel museum is not merely a showcase for contemporary art. It seeks to burnish this small nation's place in the art world, in the same way that the Guggenheim transformed the industrial Spanish city of Bilbao into a mandatory stop on the art circuit. "Malta will become a part of the global contemporary art scene," said Francis Sultana, a noted interior designer from London, before he led a VIP tour of the museum."

More than 500 artists, collectors, ambassadors and dignitaries attended the MICAS opening in Valletta, dressed in formal attire. A ring-shaped sculpture made from wheel rims and crystal whiskey glasses glittered under the pink evening sky. Malta's prime minister, Robert Abela, gave a speech followed by fireworks over the ancient harbor. The glass-and-steel museum aims to elevate Malta's profile in the global contemporary art scene, drawing an explicit comparison to the Guggenheim's impact on Bilbao. Francis Sultana positioned Malta as joining the global art circuit and led a VIP tour. Malta has recently hosted its first biennale and experienced a tourism surge since the pandemic.

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