MICAS Opens 'A New Life Force' with Herbelin, Onabulé, Rooney
Malta International Contemporary Art Space (MICAS) presents 'A New Life Force', a group exhibition featuring painters Nathanaëlle Herbelin, Kemi Onabulé, and Megan Rooney. Curated by Edith Devaney, the show presents new bodies of work each artist created after visits to Malta, drawing on the island's culture, history, and geography. Designed by Cécile Degos, the exhibition occupies three gallery floors at MICAS, giving each artist a dedicated space. Rooney, a Canadian artist based in London, produced paintings responding to the museum's floating walls, upper galleries, and large glass ceiling, exploring memory, myth, and the ancient world.
The Signal
For collectors and curators, 'A New Life Force' signals MICAS's strategy of positioning Malta as a destination for emerging international painters at pivotal career moments. By commissioning site-specific works that engage local context, the institution strengthens ties between global contemporary painting and Mediterranean heritage. The tripartite format creates a comparative study across distinct cultural perspectives—Herbelin (French-Israeli), Onabulé (Nigerian-British), and Rooney (Canadian)—offering a snapshot of how diverse backgrounds inform painterly abstraction and figuration. The exhibition reinforces Devaney's curatorial focus on women redefining painting, a theme gaining traction across biennials and museum programs.
- Artists: Nathanaëlle Herbelin, Kemi Onabulé, Megan Rooney
- People: Edith Devaney, Cécile Degos
- Museums: Malta International Contemporary Art Space (MICAS)
- Locations: Malta
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