Historic Auberge D’Aragon Hosts Six Cutting-Edge Exhibitors For designMT
Malta’s premier design expo, designMT, is returning this September and one of its most striking exhibitions will unfold inside Valletta’s historic Auberge d’Aragon.
Built in 1571 to house the Knights of the Order of St John from the langue of Aragon, Navarre, and Catalonia, the Auberge is the only surviving auberge in Valletta that still retains its original Mannerist design by Girolamo Cassar. Over the centuries, it has served as a printing press, a school, a wartime hospital, and even the Office of the Prime Minister. Now, for one week, it will transform again into a stage for some of Malta’s most innovative design voices.
The Auberge exhibition features six creators, each bringing a distinct vision that blends heritage, function, and modern storytelling.
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Sue Mifsud – Supper Club
Ceramics designer Sue Mifsud presents a dinner set for two that transforms tableware into the centrepiece of the dining experience. Drawing on three decades of practice and her work for Michelin-starred restaurants, Supper Club shifts focus from food to form, highlighting the artistry of ceramics in intimate dining.
I+A x Invent3D – CLEAR/FORM Lounge Chair
A collaboration between design studio I+A and 3D printing hub Invent3D, this recycled-plastic lounge chair combines sustainability with sleek design. Transparent and fluid, it demonstrates how circular economy principles can create tactile, functional, and beautiful design objects.
Tara Lois Mansell – Symbols of Memory & The Stalactite Collection
Jewellery artist Tara Lois Mansell showcases two collections: Symbols of Memory, which fuses heirlooms into wearable narratives, and The Stalactite Collection, which transforms quarry waste into luxury jewellery. Her work bridges heritage and innovation, preserving both personal memory and geological history in sculptural form.
Charles Zammit – Movement in Limestone
Artist Charles Zammit challenges the rigidity of Maltese limestone with sculptures that capture the fluidity of dance and fabric. Works like Levitas and Winning Over defy expectations, turning stone into a medium of movement, softness, and grace.
I+A x Antoine Vella x Christian Bezzina – Weavature
This collaborative piece reimagines Malta’s weaving heritage. With I+A leading the design, seventh-generation weaver Antoine Vella crafting intricate tapestries, and Christian Bezzina shaping a steel frame, Weavature fuses tradition with contemporary furniture design – a celebration of heritage, collaboration, and innovation.
Clifford Carabott – The Butler Side Table
Through Artefact Craftworks, Clifford Carabott presents a minimalist side table that is both elegant and functional. Its marble top and cantilevered design make it a versatile addition to any space, inspired by the quiet efficiency of a butler.
The Auberge d’Aragon exhibition is just one part of designMT, which runs from 29th September to 4th October across Valletta.
Free to attend, it offers a chance to see how Malta’s designers are blending tradition with modernity, crafting works that are as functional as they are meaningful.
designMT is being organised by the Malta Crafts Foundation, with the support of Arts Council Malta, Heritage Malta, the Industrial Property Registrations Unit within the Commerce Department, Malta Digital Innovation Authority, Malta Enterprise, and Visit Malta; and in collaboration with the MIDA – MALTA Interior Design Association, Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta Cultural Agency; and Lovin Malta as Media Partners.
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