The art exhibition Homo Melitensis: (Still) An Incomplete Inventory in 19 Chapters, currently showing at MUŻA and curated by Bettina Hutschek and Raphael Vella, is a contemporary exploration of Maltese identity across time and generations. It combines the work of 13 artists. The exhibition draws from Malta’s history, culture, and imagination, inviting visitors to reflect on what it means to be Maltese, or perhaps what it once meant.
The exhibition was originally presented in 2017 at the Maltese Pavilion during the Venice Biennale, where it first explored the idea of cataloguing Maltese identity through objects, images, and narratives. In this new edition at MUŻA, several works from the original show resurface, creating a sense of continuity, while newly commissioned pieces bring fresh perspectives that reflect the country’s ongoing cultural and social changes.
The title, Homo Melitensis: (Still) An Incomplete Inventory, suggests that the project remains open-ended. It implies that the story of what it means to be Maltese is never truly finished, but constantly rewritten through time, memory, and experience.
Paintings, photographs, and everyday objects are arranged side by side, creating unexpected connections and contradictions. Some works evoke a familiar sense of nostalgia like ‘et cetera’, which playfully reinterprets Maltese culture through humour and memory, while others challenge what we think we know about ourselves.
Walking through the gallery, certain objects feel as though they have emerged straight from a grandmother’s chest of drawers. Others confront us with stark reminders of unresolved societal issues, such as representations of historical injustices and social inequities. Others remind us of certain political issues which we tend to try and forget. This one is particularly portrayed playfully – a satirical cartoon of Norman Lowell.
However, not all artworks are lighthearted. Some confront serious themes, highlighting moments when, as a country, we could have done more and showing how past wrongdoings continue to resonate today. This can be seen in this artwork, which refers to when an American tourist was denied an abortion after she started experiencing symptoms of a miscarriage in 2022. With no legal option available, the woman was forced to fly to Spain to receive treatment, sparking protests and widespread calls for reform. The news of this incident was covered by several news outlets across Europe and the US, creating global debate. In the artwork, a rock placed on a sheet of paper seems to symbolise Malta’s moral standstill – or perhaps, more simply, that we’ve hit rock bottom.
What makes the exhibition especially clever is that it speaks to everyone. While Maltese visitors might experience a sense of nostalgia, foreigners are offered an insightful glimpse into the Maltese ways through an artistic form. Beyond celebrating elements of our identity, the exhibition also confronts moments in our history that we might prefer to forget, reminding us that the past cannot simply be erased. But rather it serves as a guide to act more thoughtfully and avoid repeating previous mistakes.
Running until 2 November 2025 at MUŻA, Homo Melitensis is free to visit. Whether you’re Maltese or just curious, this exhibition provides a thought-provoking afternoon, leaving visitors with questions about the past, the present, and the continuing evolution of what it means to be Maltese.
Homo Melitensis: (Still) An Incomplete Inventory in 19 Chapters runs until November 2