il-Kamra ta' Fuq

Tucked above a village bar in Mqabba, il-Kamra ta' Fuq (Maltese for The Room Upstairs) is one of the island's more unexpected places to see contemporary art. It is an independent gallery rather than a museum or a commercial showroom, and it works as a small, close-up venue where visitors can spend time with a show without the crowds of the capital.

It sits on Church Square in the south of the island, and it appears on VisitMalta.co.uk in our directory of art galleries in Malta. The programme is run by Art Sweven, a curatorial platform founded by Melanie Erixon.

A gallery above the New Life Bar

The idea began when Melanie Erixon, who had long wanted to open a gallery, built an online art space during the pandemic and then found a physical home for it. Her friend Antoine Farrugia offered the first floor of the New Life Bar, a favourite local haunt, and the two named the room il-Kamra ta' Fuq. The setting gives artists and audiences an alternative to institutional spaces, and the whitewashed rooms suit sculpture, framed work and installation alike.

Mqabba is a quiet village in the south, so a visit fits naturally into a day exploring the temples and countryside nearby. Our guide to things to do in Malta has ideas for the rest of the day, and the neighbouring Ħaġar Qim temples are a good pairing if you want prehistory in the morning and contemporary art after it.

What is shown and how the programme runs

The gallery runs back-to-back exhibitions, with a new show each month. These include solo exhibitions, group shows, cross-disciplinary projects and collaborations, and the work covers painting, drawing, photography, sculpture and installation. Both emerging and established artists are shown, and the programme looks to connect Maltese practice with the international art scene.

Visitors who want to buy can talk to the team about the work on the walls. Art Sweven represents artists and builds relationships between them and collectors, offering guidance to match each buyer's own taste. If you are planning a longer stay, our overview of holidays in Malta and our notes on where to stay in Malta will help you place Mqabba on your route.

The curator and her background

Melanie Erixon studied the History of Art at the University of Malta and went on to a master's degree in Museum and Heritage Management at Newcastle. She also took two Sotheby's Art Institute courses, on running a contemporary art gallery and on exhibition curation. Her earlier work includes helping to coordinate the events calendar for two editions of the Mdina Cathedral Contemporary Art Biennale, and anyone interested in the historic city can read our Mdina guide.

She also coordinated the Strada Stretta Concept between 2015 and 2018 under the Valletta 2018 Foundation, handling around 90 cultural events from opera to poetry evenings. For a sense of the city that hosted them, see our Valletta guide. Beyond the gallery, Art Sweven offers freelance curation and consultancy, including exhibition planning, artist support, catalogue and text writing and project development for private collectors, institutions and pop-up events.

Visiting and getting in touch

Opening hours are listed as Monday to Sunday, 6am to noon, with later opening on special event nights and visits at other times by appointment. Check the season before you travel with our Malta weather guide, and if you are coming from Britain, our page on flights to Malta covers the routes.

The art scene is one of the reasons Johanna Uski, a Finnish-born artist who has lived in Malta since 2015 and assists at the gallery, has stayed on the island. Our Malta relocation guide explains the practical side. To ask about a show, a private viewing or the curatorial services, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the gallery.