REVIEW Celebrating the life of master art photographer Wilfred Flores

Review /Malta / Exhibition

October - December 2022

MALTA

CHRISTINE XUEREB SEIDU

Beyond His Time

Celebrating The Life of the Maltese Master Art Photographer, Wilfrid Flores

Ghadira by Wilfrid Flores. Image Courtesy of David Pisani.

Shadows and Light, making its debut exhibition at the Christine X Curated (Christine X Art Gallery) in Sliema from 29th October to 22nd November 2022, celebrates the visual legacy and the remarkable artistry of the acclaimed Maltese photographer Wilfrid Flores(b. 1912 – d. 1981), who was part of the entourage of the Maltese art scene that included amongst others Edward Caruana Dingli and Emvin Cremona. Thirty-three photographs by Flores, from his earliest accomplished photographic work dating as early as the 1930s to those taken in his later years

Speed by Wilfrid Flores. Image Courtesy of David Pisani.

shortly before his death in 1981, trace the artist’s development and maturation over decades whilst giving this artist the show he deserves. Despite being listed in the Focal Press ‘Who’s Who in Photography’ and having his work sporadically published and exhibited in Malta and overseas, he never held a solo exhibition of his work during his lifetime.

As a master of his craft and an inventive and technically skilled darkroom printer, his contribution to photography in Malta cannot be overstated. By comparison, very few photographers in Malta were attaining his level of artistic interpretation and metaphor. In fact, it would

CHRISTINE XUEREB SEIDU founded Christine X Art Gallery in 2004 after a university degree in Art History and Anthropology. She has returned to Malta after a year in Ghana where she explored African art and culture.

take until the late 1980’s, past the year of Flores’ passing, for photography as an art form to become fully recognised by museums and art institutions worldwide. His intention was not to document Malta (as many others were doing) but to go beyond the document towards a more contemplative reading of his photographs. By doing so he left us a testament of a time in Maltese history. Twenty-eight digitized photographs from his original negatives as well as three darkroom prints of his work, interspersed among his two vintage prints, provide a deeper perspective on themes central to his practice, demonstrate the power of his legacy, and will spark critical conversations about the state of our own society that has veered towards an obsessive exaltation of the self. He showed empathy for the people he photographed, and for the human condition as a whole. Hiis quasi-romantic relation to nature speaks to us of a calm and serenity that’s lost in today’s world.

Organised by the Christine X Curated and curated by David Pisani, Shadows and Light - The Wilfrid Flores Archives draws from what remains from the outstanding collection. It demonstrates the artist’s embrace of the Maltese landscape as a singular yet remarkably wide-ranging photographic subject. The exhibition charts his own artistic development and creative range. As an ever enthusiastic teen, Wilfrid joined his father Renzo Flores (1912- 1981), a well known calligrapher, in photography and cinematography with his ear-

St Paul’s Bay by Wilfrid Flores. Image Courtesy of David Pisani. Farm Cloud by Wilfrid Flores. Image Courtesy of David Pisani.

liest accomplished photographic work dating as early as the 1930s. Despite his talent, his recognition in photographic art would only take place later on in life. Working as a forensic expert allowed him to support his family as well as acquire an advanced technical knowledge in photography which he was so passionate about. He was also often commissioned to do portraits of visiting dignitaries and celebrities whilst working as a portraitist of the first order. In 1944 he founded the first Malta Photographic Society, shortly after his father Renzo was killed by a bomb that destroyed the Casino Maltese in Valletta.

Throughout the run of the exhibition, a programme relating to themes explored in Shadows and Light will take place primarily online. From a discussion about Flores’ career, to a talk about his work, audiences near to and far from Malta will be able to engage with Flores and his legacy during this critical time in our nation’s history.

Organised by the Christine X Curated and curated by David Pisani, Shadows and Light- The Wilfrid Flores Archives will be exhibited from 29th October to 22nd November 2022 at Christine X Curated, Christine X Art Gallery in Tigne street c/w Hughes Hallet street in Sliema, Malta. Opening hours are Monday to Saturday 10am to 1pm and 4 to 7pm. For more information relating to this programme of events, please follow us on christinexcurated.com or contact us on info@christinexart.com or +356 9984 4653.