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Praying for a Revolution That Will Never Come, 2026

Participation in the Malta Pavilion, Venice Biennale 2026.

No Need to Sparkle, exhibition curated by Margerita Pulè

Described by The Scotsman‘s Susan Mansfield as a “superb animation” (21 May, 2026), Raphael Vella’s Praying for a Revolution That Will Never Come combines over two thousand hand-drawn images into a blend of archival imagery and soundscapes that collectively span a century of Maltese protests.  The audience is presented with an evolving montage on two screens that simultaneously illustrate the absolute necessity and fragility of civic hope.  As the animation progresses and confronts the audience with political choices, the work ultimately suggests that hope operates cyclically, with no final resolution. The dual-channel animation rapidly moves across historical and contemporary demonstrations, blending protest sounds, archival audio, and industrial noise into an unsettled atmosphere. Monuments in Valletta appear alongside acts of public dissent, highlighting tension between symbolic remembrance and collective action. Opposite the projections, a 350 kg compressed block of protest posters and banners forms an altar-like anti-monument, where political desire becomes raw, recyclable matter rather than a singular, triumphant gesture.

Sound design: Michael Quinton

Video editor and technical consultant: Niels Plotard

Studio assistants: Jake Attard, Marta Wróblewska

 

Photos 4 & 5: Julian Vassallo