The touring exhibition Your MUŻA: Celebrating Giuseppe Calì has reached its final destination at the Sacro Cuor parish church in Sliema, following successful showcases in Valletta, Mosta and Lija.
This concluding chapter of a journey which began in May was inaugurated by Godwin Vella, manager of Heritage Malta’s publishing house, and Mark Sagona, head of the Department of Arts and Art History at the University of Malta.
Mario Cutajar, Heritage Malta’s chairperson, MUŻA’s director and the exhibition’s curator, said this was the first exhibition of its kind in Malta and that the public’s response encourages them to continue creating such outreach initiatives.
“MUŻA continues to establish itself as an active centre of art in all its forms, with plans for the rest of this year and the next, that include the second edition of the Malta Biennale and the new public programme which builds on these achievements,” he said.
Born in Valletta in 1846 to Neapolitan parents who fled the political turmoil that flared up in Naples a few years before, Calì remains one of Malta’s greatest artists of all time. Trained at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Naples, he returned home to forge a lasting legacy – starting as a theatre scenographer before becoming renowned for his portraits and church commissions across Malta and Gozo.
‘Your MUŻA’ is an outreach initiative that extends the national collection beyond the museum walls, making art more accessible and relevant to communities. By presenting works in localities tied to the featured artist, the project ensures that national treasures are experienced in meaningful contexts.
The exhibition’s first three stops drew hundreds of visitors, confirming a strong appetite for cultural encounters close to home.
The Sliema presentation carries particular resonance. It reunites the parish with the original bozzetto of the painting of St Jerome produced by Calì in 1881, brought specially from MUŻA. Visitors can also admire Calì’s iconic The Death of Dragut, works by his contemporaries, preparatory sketches and archival material that provide unique insights into the artist’s life and practice.
A detailed catalogue accompanies the exhibition – of which physical copies are available for purchase on site and online here.
The exhibition runs until October 15. Opening hours are from 9.30am till 6pm from Monday to Friday, from 9.30am to 4.30pm on Saturday, and from noon to 6pm on Sunday. Entrance is completely free.