Maltese artist Matthew Attard, who represented Malta in the 60th Venice Biennale, has sold his work at auction for over €35,000.

The artwork, a 127-minute digital video piece, was derived from I Will Follow the Ship, the project with which Mr Attard represented Malta at the last Venice Biennale in 2024.

It was sold in the fourth edition of the TOP CHARITY Auction, organised by Polish Malta-based philanthropist Omenaa Mensah and the OmenaArt Foundation.

Held in Poland, the event raised nearly €14 million in support of international philanthropic initiatives. It is considered one of the largest charity auction in Europe, bringing together figures from business, art, and culture to advance social impact through creativity. 

The TOP CHARITY 2025 auction began as a Polish response to the war in Ukraine has evolved into a global philanthropic movement. 

According to a statement, 30 per cent of the funds raised will support the Philanthropic Consortium, Europe’s first platform uniting over 60 NGOs and working in partnership with organisations such as the Obama Foundation, the Rafa Nadal Foundation, and the Andrea Bocelli Foundation. 

The remaining 70 percent will contribute to a newly created endowment fund, designed to ensure long-term support for philanthropic projects. 

Matthew Attard’s work in I Follow The Ship explores the intersection of digital technology, heritage, and drawing. Using eye-tracking technology, he retraced historic ship engravings etched into Maltese architecture, effectively drawing with his gaze. These movements were translated into evolving digital visualisations that reflect on authorship, perception, and our growing dependence on technological systems.

He is currently represented by Galleria Michela Rizzo in Venice, and has exhibited in major cultural centres including Venice, Rome, London, Beijing, Los Angeles and Cape Town. His practice examines images as cultural constructs, employing technology to push the boundaries of visual language and to question the artist’s role in an algorithm-driven era.

The inclusion of Mr Attard’s work reflects the broader vision of LuginsLand of Art, a Poland-and Malta-based initiative supported by the OmenaArt Foundation, which is actively working to position Malta as a centre for creative cultural exchange. 

Through this platform, the Foundation has made it a mission to integrate Maltese artists into its international programme and auctions, offering them opportunities for global recognition and collaboration.