Open Call for Installation Proposals: Centrepiece of the From Illustration to Book Exhibition at the Malta Book Festival 2025 

The National Book Council (NBC), in collaboration with Arts Council Malta (ACM) and Gutenberg Press, is issuing a call for an artist to produce an installation for this year’s edition of the Malta Book Festival as part of the From Illustration to Book exhibition. The Festival and the exhibition will be taking place between 5–9 November 2025 at the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre (MFCC) in Ta’ Qali. This will be the fourth edition of an exhibition dedicated to book design and illustration as an integral part of the Malta Book Festival events and activities. 

The installation will be the centrepiece of the exhibition and will need to align with the theme of the Malta Book Festival 2025: writing anew. Every literary endeavour is a metamorphic process, whether it entails transforming life into words on a page or translating a work of literature into a different artistic language, including the visual and plastic arts. Artists are especially equipped with the creative power to transform what is at their fingertips into something new, reflecting the ever-changing world around us and forging a new way of being.

This initiative forms part of a strategic collaboration between the NBC and ACM which aims to showcase and promote innovation within the local publishing industry to actively encourage, support and cultivate the development of new ideas, creating an environment that stimulates creative thinking and the exploration of new approaches within the local publishing industry. This involves including all aspects of the creative professions, promoting art forms, encouraging collaboration among different creative professionals and supporting projects that push the boundaries and aim for excellence. In line with the Festival’s theme of writing anew, this entails empowering creative professionals by supporting their voices and expression while these artists convey the world we share and its stories, transforming the way we perceive and engage with them across diverse art forms.

What We Are Offering

The NBC and ACM are looking for a creative and innovative artist to produce an installation inspired by the Festival’s writing anew concept. This will be composed of recycled printing material generously provided by Gutenberg Press. 

The floor space allocated to the installation is 4m x 3m. 

The materials that will be at the artist’s disposal are:

• Printed sheets of paper and board;
• Bales of shredded paper;
• Grey board;
• Corrugated boxes;
• Various book pages and book block;
• Book cases;
• Aluminium Plates.

The materials, chosen by the artist at the Gutenberg Press premises, will be delivered at no cost to a location specified by the artist. Should additional material be required, the artist shall be responsible for arranging their own transportation. 

The artist will be provided with a remuneration of €3,000 (inclusive of VAT) to cover the production, installation and any other expenses incurred. 

The centrepiece will be installed a few days before the opening of the Festival at a date and time appointed by the NBC and dismantled not later than Monday, 10 November by 12pm (noon).

How to Apply

We would like to invite you to submit a proposal, including a description and sketches, to be considered for the 2025 From Illustration to Book exhibition. The submission should include:

1. A concept outline of the installation, clearly outlining the proposed installation’s link to the Festival theme;
2. A portfolio of relevant projects;
3. A recent CV;
4. Sketches demonstrating the initial idea for the installation.

Please submit your application via Submittable, and include Google Drive links with any images or large files. Kindly ensure that Google Drive links have unrestricted access.

Selection Process

The submissions will be reviewed by a committee led by NBC and ACM according to the three criteria listed below:

• Concept and theme;
• Skill and technique;
• Creativity and innovation.

Important Dates

Open Call announcement: 27 May 2025

Deadline for submissions: 17 June 2025

Notification of results: 24 June 2025

In case of any queries, send an email to Jasmine Bajada on jasmine-alexa.bajada@gov.mt.