Armenia will participate for the first time in the Second Malta International Art Biennale, a large-scale international contemporary art exhibition organized by Heritage Malta and held across historic sites in Valletta and other locations from March 11 to May 29 under the theme “CLEAN / CLEAR / CUT.” The Biennale brings together national pavilions and thematic projects that address global, social, and cultural issues through contemporary artistic practice.
The Armenian national pavilion will present “The Sound of What Was Never Seen,” a project by painter and sculptor Raffi Yedalian, curated by art historian Sona Hovhannisyan. The project was selected through an open competition announced by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia in June 2025, marking Armenia’s official debut at the Biennale.
Armenia’s entry is a sculptural and sound installation that offers a contemplative, immersive journey exploring the relationship between the visible and the invisible, memory and absence, and the dialogue between the past and the present. The work invites viewers into a reflective experience rather than a narrative-driven one.
Raffi Yedalian is a painter and sculptor, a member of the Union of Artists of Armenia and the Association of Lebanese Painters and Sculptors. His practice includes monumental sculpture, installations, and public art. In 2019, he received the “Lorenzo il Magnifico” Gold Medal at the 12th Florence Biennale for “Reflection of an Enigmatic Mind.” In 2015, the Vatican Philatelic and Numismatic Office reproduced his painting “Saint Ignatius Maloyan” as a commemorative postage stamp. His works have been exhibited internationally and are held in museum and private collections worldwide.
Curator Sona Hovhannisyan is an art historian and curator, co-founder of the cultural organization Triangle of Collaboration, and a member of ICOM. Her practice is grounded in research-based and interdisciplinary approaches at the intersection of contemporary art, architecture, and spatial culture, with projects realized across Europe and on international platforms.
The Second Malta International Art Biennale will feature 47 projects selected from more than 3,200 applications from 122 countries, including 29 national and thematic pavilions.
The Commissioner of the Armenian Pavilion is Svetlana Sahakyan, Head of the Department of Contemporary Art and Publishing at the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia. Armenia’s participation is supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Italy.
