Design Dispatch: Malta to participate at the London Design Biennale 2025 with a project that explores cremation

Arts Council Malta has announced its return to London Design Biennale 2025 with a national project, titled Urna, that explores the subject of cremation.

“URNA is an innovative project exploring the fascinating and distinctive subject of cremation. This proposal perfectly exemplifies and merges design innovation and creativity. It is bold, stimulating and far-reaching, beyond the idea of simply ‘art’” the council said in a statement.

The project aims to challenge the status quo on the subject of burial, presenting it in a poetic, intellectually stimulating and environmentally engaging way. “It should serve as the starting point for much discussion.”

Anticipating the introduction of cremation in the Maltese islands and the cultural significance that comes with it, Urna seeks to introduce a ritual for handling human remains that challenges traditional practices.

“The project redefines the columbarium, ossuary, and wake to re-establish death as a significant ceremony, unburdened by unnecessary signifiers,” the Council says.