Artists have cancelled tomorrow’s symbolic demonstration after the government confirmed the Arts Museum would move to Auberge d’Italie after all.
The aim of ‘Back Home’, as the protest had been called, was to highlight the importance of relocating the Fine Arts Museum to the larger central Valletta location.
“Basically the idea was to create an artistic event, as a symbolical gesture, but now that the relocation is taking place we decided to call it off,” said artist Raphael Vella, one of the organisers.
‘Back Home’ refers to the fact that when the art museum was established it was located at Auberge d’Italie. According to artist Vince Briffa, it had made way for the law courts only after it was destroyed during the war.
“Taking the museum back to Auberge d’Italie will mean addressing a long overdue issue and that’s historical justice,” said Dr Briffa.
Taking the museum back will mean addressing a long overdue issue
The previous government had planned to shift the museum from Admiralty House in South Street to the more spacious and prominent Auberge d’Italie in Merchant’s Street.
However, artists were shocked when last week the Tourism Ministry announced that the move had been halted and the decision reversed – the art museum was to stay put at Admiralty House.
Following an uproar, Culture Parliamentary Secretary José Herrera said in Parliament last Saturday that the government was still searching for a suitable location for the museum.
On Wednesday, the government confirmed that the art museum would definitely be moving to Auberge d’Italie.
The plan under the previous government was to relocate the Tourism Ministry and Malta Tourism Authority to Admiralty House and two other buildings: 8, Old Mint Street and Casa Scalia on the same street.
The government yesterday said these premises were too small to fit a total staff complement of 180 and discussions were under way to find an alternative building.
In a statement, the PN welcomed the news that the government was sticking to the original plans. PN culture spokesman Francis Zammit Dimech said that the Tourism Ministry could easily be relocated.