URNA design cremation for the future: Malta at London Design Biennale
Summary:
Commissioner of the Malta Pavilion
Arts Council Malta, under the auspices of the Ministry for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government, has been entrusted to act as the Commissioner and the Contracting Authority of Malta’s participation at the London Design Biennale in 2025. The Internationalisation team at Arts Council Malta is leading the project.
Main Theme of the Malta Pavilion
The topical subject of cremation will be the main theme investigated by a multi-national team assembled for URNA, the Maltese Pavilion at London Design Biennale 2025. The team today presented the project, which imagines a new ritual around death using the local landscape and innovative material technologies in reconstituted limestone.
The London Design Biennale is an international exhibition featuring world leading design innovation and creativity from countries across the globe. The event reveals the potential of design to respond radically to changing social and environmental needs, its contribution to the world economy and its power to drive change and find solutions for the benefit of all. The London Design Biennale is held in historic Somerset House, one of the UK’s finest and most beautiful 18th century buildings and is of international historical and architectural importance.
Speaking at the event, Owen Bonnici, Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government said that URNA is an ecologically sustainable project, using one of the country’s most precious resources, limestone. Dr Bonnici said that this project adapts itself to different cultures, landscapes and materials so that one can imagine completely different rituals, in different places, built on the same foundation. He reaffirmed the government's commitment to continue promoting local talent overseas.
Albert Marshall, Executive Chairman at Arts Council Malta said that Arts Council Malta, as the Commissioner of the Maltese Pavilion at the London Design Biennale, is aware of the benefits for local artists, which Malta’s participation in a Biennale like this can bring. He wished the URNA team well. Mr. Marshall thanked Dr Luke Dalli, COO at ACM, Mary Ann Cauchi, COO Funding and Strategy; Annabelle Stivala, Executive Head International Cultural Relations; Dr Romina Delia, Internationalisation Executive who for the past ten years led the Maltese Pavilions at the Venice and London Biennales and Celine Portelli, Support Coordinator and Dr Frank Psaila, PR Internationalisation.
URNA team member architect Andrew Borg Wirth said that URNA proposes a monumental design narrative that invites us to rethink rituals around bodily disposition, drawing from both nature and cosmic reflection.
Kevin Rapinett, Group CEO of Halmann Vella Group said that his Group is proud to support the team at the London Design Biennale, especially in this landmark year as they mark their 70th anniversary. He explained that what began as a small venture in traditional cement tile manufacturing has grown steadily into a thriving company with over 200 dedicated employees and two state-of-the-art facilities in Ħal Far and Lija. He said that Halmann’s involvement in this project goes beyond sponsorship, it's about championing creativity, fostering collaboration, and showcasing their commitment to sustainability by supplying their own reconstituted stone for the installation.
The Malta Pavilion presented at Somerset House between the 5th and 29th of June will feature a monumental recreation of the team’s proposal. Delivered within sedimentary layers of the limestone material developed by Halmann Vella, the installation will showcase how 128 souls will be stored. Rather than fitting into an urn, the project proposes that after death, each body becomes part of one large, communal URNA. This inverts the established methods of bodily disposition (primarily burial), creating a whole rather than separate parts. The pavilion will include a publication of visual and written research together with a film which speculates on the possible future of rituals around URNA. The team will similarly present the project in Malta for audiences to witness the same installation first-hand.
The project is context-derived; imagined to be out of limestone and positioned within disused Maltese quarries. In its universality, however, the concept behind URNA will be able to adapt to different cultures, landscapes and materials so that one can imagine completely different rituals, in different places, built on the same foundation. “Design,” said curator Andrew Borg Wirth, “needs to deliver internal desires within external forces which is the underpinning thought behind the theme chosen for this year’s Biennale by Artistic Director Samuel Ross — Surface Reflections.”
For the project, the team is supported by main sponsor Halmann Vella, using a new reconstituted stone material using limestone dust from Malta. In this way the team is bridging contemporary technological advancement from Malta, with urgent political and cultural themes. The team will be showcasing research into limestone landscapes and places of burial from across the Mediterranean.
URNA is already receiving support from Halmann Vella, the Deloitte Foundation, Visit Malta, the Embassies of France and the United States of America, Dr Jeannine Rizzo and the University of Malta. The team is looking for support from patrons, organisations and institutions in order to continue building on the project’s success.
For this project, a multinational team—not only with strong Maltese roots, but also Mediterranean foundations—has been compiled. The team is constructed as a constellation of artists, designers, curators, architects and art directors, in dialogue with intrinsically Maltese elements that fuel the design process. Mediterranean sentiments from Malta, Cyprus and France meet with more global design processes in London and the United States in order to create universal outputs.
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Andrew Borg Wirth (b.1993) is a curator and architect with an interdisciplinary practice interrogating political themes through collaborative projects with artists, collectives, architects and organisations. He curates exhibitions and site-specific projects both in Malta and overseas.
Anthony Bonnici (b.1990, Malta) studied architecture in the UK and Switzerland, then led major projects worldwide at Valerio Olgiati's office. He notably collaborated with Kanye West and founded EBEJER BONNICI upon returning to Malta in 2021, now exploring new architectural possibilities with work in Malta, Mexico and USA.
Matthew Attard Navarro, founder of ANCC Studio, is a London-based art director. His work, combining photography and design, explores digital media and postcolonial identity, bridging traditional and contemporary aesthetics for fashion and luxury brands.
Tanil Raif is a Cypriot designer currently obtaining his masters degree in architecture at Harvard University. His interest is within the intersection of primitive futurism and computational design. His contributions include Neom’s line city in Saudi Arabia and the Yeezy Masterplan in Wyoming
Anne Immelé, Ph.D. is a photographer working as a teacher and exhibition curator. Her photographs examine the myriad of dimensions in our relationship with the territory: geographical, human and social, as well as memorial and poetic.
Stephanie Sant (b.1992) is a Malta born, Paris based filmmaker, writer and performer. Her work has been exhibited notably at the 2019 Venice Biennale (San Marino Pavilion), Spazju Kreattiv (MT), la Friche la Belle de Mai (FR) and Het Nieuwe Instituut (NL).
Thomas Mifsud is a Maltese architect and multidisciplinary creative, exploring place-making and historiography through photography and poetry. In 2023, he joined EBEJER BONNICI, leading various projects, curating the firm's visual language, and guest-tutoring at the University of Malta.
Results for the London Design Biennale 2025.
‘URNA’ to represent Malta at the London Design Biennale 2025.
Arts Council Malta will be once again returning to the London Design Biennale, in 2025, this time with the selected project URNA.
URNA is an innovative project exploring the fascinating and distinctive subject of cremation. This proposal perfectly exemplifies and merges design innovation and creativity. It is bold, stimulating and far-reaching, beyond the idea of simply "art". It is a design for the community and challenges the status quo on interment, while offering a solution that is both poetic, intellectually stimulating and environmentally engaging. It should serve as the starting point for much discussion.
URNA introduces a new ritual for handling human remains, anticipating the adoption of cremation in the Maltese Islands and envisioning it as a culturally significant process. The project redefines the columbarium, ossuary, and wake to re-establish death as a significant ceremony, unburdened by unnecessary signifiers.
The collaboration of architects, designers, curators, and art directors has devised a geometrical construction using large, nondescript boulders that accumulate over time and form a language of their own. These spherical modules, universal in shape, incorporate cremated remains, embodying the individual’s connection to a broader cosmic reality and evolving through tactile interventions that invite various cultural interpretations.
The Team
For this project, a multinational team has been compiled.
Andrew Borg Wirth
Curator/Architect Andrew Borg Wirth (b.1993) He has curated exhibitions at Valletta Contemporary, the Malta Society of Arts and Malta’s National Centre for Creativity, amongst a number of other sitespecific projects both in Malta and overseas. His research interests lie at the intersection between cultural and architectural discourse, dealing with nostalgia, public space, memory, monuments and trauma.
Anthony Bonnici
Architect/Designer Anthony Bonnici (b.1990, Malta). He was responsible for international projects and led the realisation of the CELINE Flagship Store in Miami, a winery in red concrete in Tuscany, a house in Alentejo, Portugal and the Pearling Site Entrance and Museum in Bahrain. For the last years at the office, Bonnici was the lead architect dealing with all projects for Kanye West, including his private residence, the Yeezy campus in Wyoming and a pedestrian city in Atlanta. After 16 years away Bonnici returned to Malta in 2021 to create his own architecture and founded the office EBEJER BONNICI.
Tanil Raif
Architect/Design, Tanil Raif is a Cypriot designer currently obtaining his master’s degree in architecture at the Harvard graduate school of design. His interest is within the intersection of primitive futurism and computational design. After his completion of bachelor’s in architecture at Chicago’s İllinois Institute of technology, Tanil has worked with many notable figures such as Kanye West, James Turrell and Ma Yanson. His contributions include project such as Neom’s line city in Saudi Arabia and the Yeezy Masterplan in Cody Wyoming.
Matthew Attard Navarro
Art Director, Matthew Attard Navarro (b.1987) is a London based multi-disciplinary art director, combining mediums such as photography and design through his personal practice. Matthew is also the founder & creative director of ANCC Studio Ltd, a multi-disciplinary creative studio in London working with fashion, design and luxury brands. Clients include established brands such as JW Anderson, Stella McCartney, ZARA, Nanushka, COS, David Koma, British Fashion Council to more emerging and experimental brands such as Jawara Alleyne, Luke Azzopardi (MT), HELIOT EMIL, THEOREME Editions, SRVC Studio amongst others
Anne Immelé
Photographer Anne Immelé, (b.1972, Mulhouse, France) Ph.D. is a photographer and exhibition curator based in Mulhouse, France. Her photographs examine the myriad of dimensions to our relationship with the territory: geographical, human and social, as well as memorial and poetic. It is through editing and display that her images enter into dialogue with each other, creating a ground for confrontation. While her photographic output is exhibited regularly on an international level, she also teaches at the HEAR (Haute école des arts du Rhin)
Stephanie Sant
Filmmaker Stephanie Sant is a Maltese filmmaker, writer and performer self-described as a pluridisciplinary poet. In 2016 she obtained a master’s in arts in Photography at Central Saint Martins, UAL. She has collaborated as a performer with Olivier de Sagazan on two of his creations, Hybridation and La Messe de L'Âne which both tour overseas continuously. She has also participated in the creative team of the San Marino pavilion at the Biennale di Venezia in 2019. Her work has been exhibited notably at Spazju Kreattiv (MT), at Friche la Belle de Mai (FR) and Het Nieuwe Instituut (NL). In 2020 she moved to France and is now settled in Paris as of 202
Thomas Mifsud
Junior Architect Thomas Mifsud (b.1996, Malta) is an architect and multi-disciplinary creative. Driven by a passion for the visual and literary arts, he has established a cultural position as a project-oriented artist, exploring place-making, collective memory and historiography through photography and poetry. In 2023 he joined EBEJER BONNICI as a design lead architect. Within the office he is leading the realisation of a tower made of stone and several dwellings in rural contexts. He led the set design of the Maltese opera premiere of Joseph Vella’s Valeriana: Titan’s Rock and is directing a number of residential projects in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Alongside his architecture work, he is also the person in charge of curating and developing EBEJER BONNICI’s visual language and architectural position.
Malta’s participation at the London Design Biennale
Arts Council Malta, under the auspices of the Ministry for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government, has been entrusted to act as the Commissioner and the Contracting Authority of Malta’s participation at the London Design Biennale in 2025. Dr Romina Delia, International Executive at Arts Council Malta shall lead the project, supported by Celine Portelli (Coordination) and Dr Frank Psaila (PR & Marketing International Projects)
The London Design Biennale is an international exhibition and thought leadership programme featuring world leading design innovation and creativity from countries across the globe.
The London Design Biennale is held in historic Somerset House, one of the UK’s finest and most beautiful 18th century buildings and is of international historical and architectural importance.
In 2023 Arts Council Malta selected and commissioned the project ‘Urban Fabric’ which was successfully showcased in the courtyard of the Historic Somerset House in London. The project URNA in 2025 shall be located in one of the internal rooms of Somerset house
The fifth London Design Biennale will take place from 5-29 June 2025. Each Biennale edition invites participants to respond to a universal theme set by the Artistic Director. Samuel Ross was announced as the artistic director of the London Design Biennale 2025.
The London Design Biennale theme will be ‘Surface Reflections’ and will explore how ideas are shaped equally by internal experiences and external influences. The theme will offer an opportunity to delve into multiple facets of the human experiences, uncovered through personal histories, traditions, and things we learn throughout our lives.
Evaluators
The Evaluators, on behalf of Arts Council Malta, where:
Adrian Mamo
Adrian is the current artistic director of Teatru Manoel, Malta's national theatre. He is an architect by profession, He has been involved in the local theatre scene for around 40 years; he has designed sets for over 60 productions including theatre, pantomime, dance and music, for various performing arts companies, such as MADC, Masquerade, Atturi, Actinghouse, TheatreEncore, Staġun Teatru Malti, CHOGM and others. Adrian also occupies the role of president of the Malta Society of Arts.
Perit Andre Pizzuto
Perit Pizzuto is the President of the Council of the Maltese Chamber of Architects & Civil Engineers. He is a Council delegate on Building Regulation in Malta since 2017, represents the Chamber on the Building Industry Consultative Council (BICC) on matters related to building regulation. In 2017, he was also appointed as Chairperson of ad-hoc working group of the Chamber for the formulation and development of a comprehensive building regulation regime for Malta.
Angela Bourderye-Munoz
Angela is a cultural diplomacy expert, currently serving as the External Relations and Events Manager at London Design Biennale since 2022. Angela's extensive background in diplomacy and international affairs includes significant roles such as Current Affairs, Culture, and Communications Manager at Canning House, where she worked closely with diplomatic representations, cultural organizations, and government officials. She also directed Otumpa Gallery in London, curating an extensive exhibition program that highlighted the finest craft makers from Latin America.
The evaluation session was moderated by Dr Romina Delia, Internationalisation Executive at Arts Council Malta
The 2025 London Design Biennale Artistic Director and Theme have been announced!
It is now live on the website:. https://londondesignbiennale.com/
Submission deadline: 23 APRIL 2024 at noon (CET)
Apply online by clicking here
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Read the guidelines carefully here before submitting your application online.
Arts Council Malta, under the auspices of the Ministry for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government, has been entrusted to act as the Commissioner and the Contracting Authority, of Malta’ participation at the London Design Biennale 2025. Arts Council Malta is the national agency for development and investment in the cultural and creative sectors.
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