The University of Malta’s Head of Department of Art and Art History, Keith Sciberras, was awarded the highly prestigious Pio Alferano 2021 Award.
The annual awards are geared towards international personalities who have distinguished themselves in the fields of art, culture, the environment, entrepreneurship and the social sector. They are aimed at recognising talented people who intend to give impetus to the promotion and safeguarding of the artistic, landscape, historical and archaeological heritage.
Prof. Sciberras received the award alongside the following six international artists of repute: Gigi D'Alessio (singer-songwriter), Massimo Osanna (General Director of the Mic Museums), Federico Palmaroli, aka Osho (cartoonist), Gennaro Sangiuliano (Director of Tg2), Luca Miniero (Director), Eleonora Ivone (actress and Director), Angelo Longoni (Director and writer).
The Pio Alferano 2021 Award has been awarded since 2012 and this year’s ninth edition took place on 4th September in the Belvedere San Costabile, in the medieval village of Castellabate (Salerno, Italy).
This year’s event was under the artistic direction of Vittorio Sgarbi, an Italian art critic, art historian, and former curator of the 2011 Venice Biennale, an International Art Exhibition.
During the event, Sgharbi said:
“This award is a baptism, it consecrates Keith as an Italian by choice, because Malta is like Italy. The Maltese history of the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries is part of the history of Italian art. Keith is smart, good and generous, and his work unites two nations into one civilisation”.
Prof. Sciberras is a renowned expert on Roman Baroque culture, Italian Baroque paintings and Caravaggio. A few weeks ago, he unveiled the ‘Masterpieces at MUŻA’ exhibition, being held at MUŻA (Valletta) until the end of October 2021. Prof. Sciberras is very active in the arts community in Malta and is also the Vice President of the Dante Alighieri Committee of Malta.
Prof. Sciberras proudly remarked:
"The prize awards lifetime achievement in the fields of art, music, theatre, cinema, journalism, and culture in general. My work on the study of Italian Baroque art, especially that on Caravaggio, was singled out. The ceremony brought together scholars and personalities from these sectors. I was particularly honoured to be the only non-Italian selected for the award”.