Celebrated Sculptor, Conrad Shawcross opens inaugural show at MICAS

Malta International Contemporary Art Space (MICAS) has unveiled a stunning new sculptural display by celebrated artist and Royal Academician Conrad Shawcross.

Titled “What is to Become is Already Here” the works premiered during MICAS’s annual International Art Weekend and will remain on display until the art space opens its doors in October 2024.

London-born Shawcross connected with the history and geography of Malta and found inspiration in MICAS’s location: its proximity to the sea and the marina and the panoramic views afforded from its elevated position. MICAS worked closely with Shawcross to curate a display of his works throughout the over 90,000 square-foot site, aiming to guide visitors around the grounds and anchored by a sculpture on the fortification walls overlooking the harbour.

Shawcross works with light, geometry and movement to highlight the limits of perception and reality. He is known for his fascination with the perpetual motion of the natural world and with mathematical theory. His collection for MICAS features three distinct bodies of work that embody this ethos.

He commented, “I am honoured to be the first artist to exhibit at the new MICAS campus. The exhibit title ‘What is to Become is Already Here’ alludes to its nature: a harkening of things to come. While MICAS will celebrate the contemporary, the building is contained within historic fortifications that have existed for hundreds of years and have witnessed the most breathtaking of histories. The title suggests a sense of unknown things beginning to materialise on the horizon.”

MICAS is the first not-for-profit platform for international contemporary art in Malta and will provide a space for contemporary art and internationalisation. Launching in 2024, it will allow Malta to take a great step forward and become a proactive player in the contemporary art world.

During the International Art Weekend MICAS also announced the formation of its International Committee, which welcomed Waqas Wajahat, an esteemed NYC-based collector, curator, and art dealer as Chair of the committee; and Timothy Rub, the celebrated George D. Widener Emeritus Director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as its first member.

Visits to the site to view the Shawcross works will be available to the public by appointment on the MICAS website. Please visit www.micas.art for more information and follow @micasmalta on Instagram to follow MICAS’s journey to opening.

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