The most well-known and beloved international art exhibition in the world is coming back… and this year, Malta’s setting a number of national records to celebrate its 60th edition.

Taking place from 20th April to 24th November, La Biennale di Venezia 2024 will once again bring together works and artists from all around the planet, but as far as Malta is concerned, the country’s Pavilion will be entrusted to one solo artist for the first time ever. At the heart of it all is Maltese artist Matthew Attard and I WILL FOLLOW THE SHIP, a newly-commissioned artwork “weaving together cultural heritage and cutting edge digital technology”.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg of historic achievements, with the curator Elyse Tonna notably also going down as not only the youngest-ever curator of the Maltese Pavilion, but also its first female Maltese curator.

I WILL FOLLOW THE SHIP – which is also co-curated by Italian-American curator Sara Dolfi Agostini – has AI and drawing technology at its very heart… but uses them to go all the way back to ancient tales. Attard’s inspiration is drawn from his particular interest for historical images of ship graffiti, which can actually be found on the facades of several chapels all around the islands.

Etched in stone by anonymous seafarers or passers-by, these drawings and their nature are somehow echoed even nowadays, with the dawn of the internet, advanced computer technology and AI. “Seeking to dissect humanity’s relationship with artificial intelligence and digital technology, the title also hints at the interplay between “I” and “eye”, symbolising both the objective and subjective nature of Attard’s work,” the team explained.

I WILL FOLLOW THE SHIP is commissioned by Arts Council Malta, and will be located at the Artigliere in the main Arsenale area. Maria Galea and Michela Rizzo have taken charge of project management duties of this massive endeavour.