Aaron Bezzina has first exhibited as an artist in 2012 in Malta after a successful submission to an open call. Since then, he has consistently shown work both locally and abroad. Aaron’s first international break was in 2015, whilst reading for an MFA in Digital Arts at the University of Malta. Here he was selected for a prestigious residency (from a pool of 330 European applicants) organised by the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg where he was mentored by Darren Almond, a Turner prize nominated artist. This launched Aaron in direct contact with the international art scene. Moreover, the European Investment Bank purchased the work produced during the residency and now resides in their permanent collection.

Aaron has also a connection with the art scene in Italy, after his internship as an archivist with the gallery Nuova Icona in 2016, he established roots in Venice and the artists, curators and galleries there. Coincidentally during his time at Nuova Icona, he was showing work at the Venice Biennale of Architecture as his sculptures formed part of Architecture Project’s A Cabinet of Curiosities at Palazzo Mora. The following year, he was also one of the selected artists for the Maltese Pavilion at Venice Biennale, the exhibition entitled Homo Melitensis: An Incomplete Inventory in 19 chapters, curated by Raphael Vella and Bettina Hutschek. Following this exposure, his work was scouted by officials from Imago Mundi, an exhibition organised by the Luciano Benetton Collection in Treviso. This also led to a six-month project in Treviso and Quero-Vas, in Italy, Aaron was selected for RigenerArte organised by UNIC&F and the Luciano Benetton Collection. Moreover, Aaron has also been selected for residencies in Lithuania and Athens by local organisations. These experiences have also resulted in exhibitions in the respective countries which also gave Aaron’s work further exposure. The recent development for Aaron’s international career, despite the social restrictions due to COVID-19, is UN/MUTE, a New York virtual artist residency, selected by Arts Council Malta in New York as the artist representing Malta. This project involves pairing ten artists from Europe with ten artists from New York to work on a project for three to four months. An installation for this project was eventually exhibited in the Austrian Cultural Forum NY in Manhattan.

Photo credit: Aaron Bezzina