What it is

Vertigo is a solo painting exhibition by the China-born, Malta-based artist Hui Sun, on show in the art galleries of the Malta Society of Arts at Palazzo de La Salle in Valletta from 28 May to 25 June 2026. Curated by Marta Obiols Fornell, it is a free exhibition in one of the capital's grandest historic buildings, and an easy, rewarding stop for anyone interested in contemporary art with a cross-cultural edge.

The title is literal as well as poetic. As the curator describes it, Hui Sun's paintings carry an element of vertigo: the vanishing point is neither clear nor logical, and he plays with disruptive elements such as impossible ladders whose beginnings and ends remain unknown. The work invites you into the painter's intuitive mind, where different planes and perspectives sit in harmony beyond the strictly visible - impressions that both reveal and conceal. It is also, in a quieter register, a celebration of Maltese and Chinese scenery, dwelling on the beauty of everyday life and ordinary domestic and natural detail.

Hui Sun (born 1985 in Datong, Shanxi Province) studied at Yunnan Art University, taught there for nearly a decade, and now lives and works in Malta with a studio on the island. His paintings weave disparate themes onto a single plane, drawing on both historical and contemporary references to create spaces that hover between the real and the imagined. He is a fellow member of the Malta Society of Arts, and Vertigo gathers a body of recent work that reflects his ongoing interest in the fragmented texture of modern life.

For a visitor, the setting is part of the pleasure. Palazzo de La Salle is a fine 18th-century palazzo on Republic Street, Valletta's main thoroughfare, a few minutes' walk from the City Gate bus terminus, so the exhibition is simple to reach and easy to combine with the rest of the capital. Entry is free, and the galleries are open Mondays to Fridays 9am to 7pm and Saturdays 9am to 1pm, closed on Sundays and public holidays.

There is no ticket and no rush - this is a drop-in show, ideal for a cooler indoor hour during a hot Maltese June. Check the Malta Society of Arts What's On page for any changes to opening hours before visiting.

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