Government hosting exhibition of another client of culture ambassador

A new exhibition by an international artist in Valletta, hosted by Heritage Malta, is once again directly connected to a business client of Francis Sultana, a Gozitan based in London who was appointed by disgraced former prime minister Joseph Muscat as Malta’s Ambassador for Culture in 2018.

Eyebrows were raised at Heritage Malta as soon as Chairman Mario Cutajar – a former principal permanent secretary – signed an agreement so that Barnaby Barford, who Sultana describes as a ‘star ceramist’ on his shop’s webpage, was to hold ‘Topia’ at the National Community Art Museum, better known as MUZA in Valletta.

The ongoing exhibition, lasting until January, exhibits small bone china ceramics of Maltese shop fronts, handmade by the British artist.

In addition to showcasing his artistic collection, Heritage Malta is also facilitating the sale of these miniatures, at some €200 each, through a specially dedicated website on the government’s agency page.

Sultana did not reply to questions asking him to confirm that Barford is his client at his art gallery in London and whether he was using his position to have an exhibition hosted by a Maltese government agency for one of his clients.

The Gozitan designer, who has lived in the UK for many years, is the CEO of his partner’s gallery, David Gill Gallery, in London’s St James’s. He promotes and sells works of art, primarily by contemporary artists, and gets a significant commission.

Barford is not the first of Sultana’s clients to have a full-blown exhibition hosted for him by a Maltese government agency.

At least two other clients of Sultana clients have also recently had their work exhibited in Malta through the ambassador’s connections.

In 2019, MICAS (Malta International Contemporary Art Space) commissioned Ugo Rondinone to create a sculpture for the EU-funded national museum, which cost taxpayers about half a million euro.

Sultana, who sits on the board of MICAS, sells Rondinone’s art in London.

In 2023, Sultana was behind another MICAS acquisition – ‘The Palm Goddess for Malta’, by American artist Michele Oka Doner.

According to Culture Minister Owen Bonnici, the large bronze statue was loaned to the Maltese government by the artist “free of charge” for ten years. However, the loan contract stipulated that the government bound itself to place it prominently in Valletta and to fork out all transportation, insurance, and security expenses. Any commercial proceeds from the work of art were to be shared with the American artist.

Oka Doner‘s art is sold in London by Ambassador Francis Sultana and represented by David Gill’s Art Gallery.