Villa Luginsland: Architectural gem in Malta opens to the public
EXHIBITION
Sconfinamenti: Arcangelo Sassolino at University of Malta Gallery of Art
EXHIBITIONS (M)other!: An experimental exhibition taking place in Rabat and Barcelona | Christine X Gallery hosts exhibition featuring British visual artist Lina Maria Rincon | Frank and I: Celebrating the life and work of Maltese modern artist Frank Portelli | Tethered: The debut photography exhibition of artist Saħħara | The Malta Society of Arts 2024 calendar | Dream [of] Land: exploring the tangible manipulation of matter through acts of weaving, moulding and sculpting INTERNATIONAL Biennale of Sydney announces 2024 exhibition: Ten Thousand Suns | Tate Modern presents the UK’s largest exhibition celebrating the work of artist and activist Yoko Ono: Music of The Mind ARCHITECTURE Shedding light on how both Accra and Valletta’s mercantile story has been shaped through centuries of colonial rule
DESIGN
Erco: Light Design Solutions and the perfect lighting for art
Where imagination, reality, nature, humanity… become one
>> Page 22
‘Rethinking Lampedusa. Rethinking Malta’
“Mending the Mediterranean is a journey that transcends geographical boundaries, inviting participants to reflect on their place in the world, to rethink preconceived notions of borders and identity, as an invitation to collectively reimagine the future” Interview: Erica Giusta in conversation with Roberta Esposito, Leonardo Caffo and Carlo Alberto Giardina, the research group behind one of the key contributions to the upcoming Curatorial Public Programme of maltabiennale.art >> Page 16
ERICA GIUSTA
Painter Alejandro Pasquale shares his vision of the world which he translates into his art.
W Welcome / Team / Inside
March - June 2024
Editor
Lily Agius
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Graphic Designer
Nicholas Cutajar
Writers + Contributors
Lisa Attard
Andrew Borg Wirth
Maria Galea
Erica Giusta
Margerita Pulè
Christine Xuereb Seidu
Artists Featured
Matthew Attard
Hannah Dowling
Charlotte Nordgren
Sewell
Yoko Ono
Agustín Ortiz Herrera
Irene Pérez-Gil
Alejandro Pasquale
Arcangelo Sassolino
Vanesa Varela
Raphael Vella
Museums + Galleries
Christine X Art Gallery
Il-Kamra ta’ Fuq
Lily Agius Gallery
Luginsland of Art
Omenaart Foundation
R Gallery
Spajzu Kreattiv
Tate Modern, London
The Malta Society of Arts University of Malta Gallery of Art
Supported by AP Valletta Babel Bistro
BAS Malta
Brands International Bo Concept DK Haircare
Edwards Lowell
Heritage Malta iLab
Light Design Solutions maltabiennale.art No.43
People & Skin
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NEWS
07. THE MUCH-AWAITED inaugural edition of the maltabiennale.art is here!
07. LUGINSLAND VILLA: a new art space in Rabat
28. MALTA REPRESENTED by the artist Matthew Attard at Venice Biennale 2024
28. TEN THOUSAND SUNS: The 24th edition of The Biennale of Sydney
29. THE MALTA SOCIETY OF ARTS Music and Performing Arts Programme
INTERVIEWS
16. WITH THE RESEARCH GROUP behind one of the key contributions to the Curatorial Public Programme of maltabiennale.art
20. ARCANGELO SASSOLINO at the newly established University of Malta Gallery of Art
22. ALEJANDRO PASQUALE shares his vision of the world which he translates into his art
26. LIGHT DESIGN SOLUTIONS: the perfect lighting for art
“A dream you dream alone may be a dream, but a dream two people dream together is a reality. Whisper your dream to a cloud.”
Yoko Ono
This little island is in the limelight this Spring with two monumental events. Not only is Malta having its first ever art biennale, maltabiennale.art, which will spread itself across the islands with workshops and exhibitions by local and international artists, bringing in its stead global attention and good company; The Malta Pavilion in Venice will open its doors once again at the Venice Biennale, presenting the work of Matthew Attard with a solo show, entitled I Will Follow the Ship It’s times like these that we need to pinch ourselves and be thankful for the hard work of those involved in the making of these two events – it is quite an accomplishment! No doubt they are all toiling away with their sleeves rolled up to get everything ready for the grand reveal at the time of writing this excerpt... Do keep your eyes peeled for any updates and why not make the trip to Venice and visit The Malta Pavilion this year? The The 60th International Art Exhibition, titled Stranieri Ovunque - Foreigners
EXHIBITIONS + EVENTS
09. DREAM [OF] LAND: an interdisciplinary exhibition project
09. REFLECTIONS, by Lina Maria Rincon at Christine X Art Gallery
10. MONUMENT: An interdisciplinary group exhibition at R Gallery
10. TETHERED: The debut photography exhibition of artist Sahhara
10. DEBUT SOLO by Dave Calleja at il-Kamra ta’Fuq
11. HOW BOTH ACCRA AND VALLETTA’S mercantile story has been shaped through centuries of colonial rule
12. LUGINSLAND OF ART launches site specific exhibition and educational programme
24. MATER: the experimental exhibition taking place in Rabat and Barcelona
30. MUSIC OF THE MIND: Yoko Ono at The Tate in London
Everywhere - will open to the public from Saturday the 20th of April to the 24th of November.
The world’s a stage, dreams can be a reality… Take hold of the reins.
Explore, and jump into another reality. How does it look from there?
Art is life.
Artpaper will be in Venice for the 60th International Art Exhibition in support of The Malta Pavilion. For advertising or editorial enquiries contact us on info@artpaper.press and follow Artpaper.press on Instagram.
March - June 2024
LuginsLand of Art
Villa Luginsland, an architectural gem in Malta, is being restored back to its former glory and transformed into a cultural hub LuginsLand of Art thanks to a Polish philanthropist, art lover, guardian of historical buildings and CEO of OmenaArt Foundation, Omenaa Mensah.
After many years of neglect, one of the most significant architectural gems in Malta, opens its door to the public. The initial opening of the cultural hub as a new concept LuginsLand of Art at the Villa, which is currently still under construction, includes an inaugural exhibition ‘Space & Time’ curated by the renowned Slovakian set designer, Boris Kudlicka, who was invited to the project by the OmenaArt Foundation. The exhibition presents the works of esteemed Maltese and Polish artists.
Rebranded as ‘LuginsLand of Art’, the villa aspires to evolve into a hub for exhibitions, discourse, and diverse artistic events, fostering international artistic exchange and open dialogue across the dimensions of the past, present, and future. A mastermind behind the project is Omenaa Mensah, Polish philanthropist, businesswoman, art collector, and founder of OmenaArt Foundation.
LuginsLand of Art is poised to open its door to the public in March as one of its preview events before the construction would be completed in coming years. The inaugural exhibition ‘Space & Time’ curated by a renowned Slovakian set designer and architect – Boris Kudlicka will showcase the works of renowned Maltese and Polish artists and encompass both site specific installations which have been created in line with the curatorial concept and the historic reference of the site, as well as a curated selection of works from pre-existing series by the artists. The visual narrative establishes an intriguing dialogue between Neo-Renaissance architecture and Contemporary Art, aiming to create an intersection between the past and present through intercultural exchange.
Space & Time Exhibition Featured Artists:
Mario Abela, Victor Agius, Matthew Attard, Norbert Attard, John Paul Azzopardi, Austin Camilleri, Monika Falkus, Antoine Farrugia, Nicolas Grospierre, Michał Jackowski, Ida Karkoszka, Lia Kimura, Marcin Maciejowski, Karol Palczak, Janek Simon, Nikola Vudrag, Xawery Wolski, Jakub Julian Ziółkowski, Maurycy Gomulicki
OmenaArt Foundation website: https://omenaartfoundation.com/en/ LuginsLand of Art website https://luginslandofart.com/ Villa Luginsland website: https://villaluginsland.com/
>> See page 12 for the full feature
Tmaltabiennale.art
“A coming together of historical legacy and contemporary art”
he artistic director and curator Sofia Baldhi Pighi, together with curators Elisa Carollo and Emma Mattei, are collaborating with contemporary multidisciplinary artists, capable of engaging with various media - from installation to painting, from sculpture to performance to video art.
“The importance lies in embracing different techniques as a multiplication of possibilities for an emotional encounter with our audiences” explains Sofia Baldhi Pighi.
The inaugural edition of the maltabiennale.art will run from 11 March to 31 May in historic locations across the Maltese archipelago. See page 16 for the interview with with Roberta Esposito, Leonardo Caffo and Carlo Alberto Giardina, the research group behind one of the key contributions to the upcoming Curatorial Public Programme of maltabiennale.art
maltabiennale.art is a Heritage Malta initiative through MUZA, the Malta National Community Art Museum, in partnership with Arts Council Malta. maltabiennale.art is also presented in cooperation with the Ministries for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government, and Gozo, as well as with Visit Malta, Malta Libraries, MCAST, Festivals Malta, Valletta Cultural Agency and Spazju Kreattiv. With the participation of Malta School of Art, AUM, ZfinMalta, KorMalta, Teatru Manoel, Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, Franco La Cecla, IULM University, Milan, Department of Humanities Studies, Faculty of Arts and Tourism, Underwater Department Heritage Malta, Archaeological Department Heritage Malta and Maritime Museum Heritage Malta.
www.maltabiennale.art; Social media handles: @maltabiennale
Aerial view of Valletta
Empty Gold Man Black by Michał Jackowski. Photo by Paweł Ławreszuk
March - June 2024
MONUMENT
monument, a memory device, first manifested as a place of burial before the building of memorial structures - objects that make us think, tell stories, and remind us of enduring evidence or examples of people, their actions, and events.
Through the study of objects and vessels, notions of material fragility are challenged within an anonymous empty space. They allow for the exploration of perceived or real fragility, eccentricity, as well as the strangeness of form.
An archaeological journey, recovery and reconstruction, is a reflection on stories and artifacts fabricated and obscured by time and fiction. Here, moments become monuments, they negate the monumental and celebrate cumulative gestures and acts that form a significant whole.
Layers unravel and expose a world teetering on the edge of revelation and concealment. With deft strokes and cunning compositions, we are invited to question the very fabric of reality and the depths of spatial illusion.
MONUMENT stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of artistic independence and innovation. It is a celebration of the boundless power of four local artists’ work and practice. Four artists grounded on an island, whose work resonates with the echoes of its past, present, and future.
MONUMENT is an interdisciplinary group exhibition by Charlie Cauchi, Jon Banthorpe, Teresa Sciberras, and Gilbert Calleja, produced by R Gallery.
Friday 15 March to 1 May 2024, R Gallery, 26 Tigne Street, Sliema.
LINA
Christine X Art Gallery presents a solo exhibition featuring London-based visual artist Lina Maria Rincon. The exhibition promises to transport viewers to the vibrant landscapes of South American summers in Colombia where she was born, as Rincon masterfully captures the essence of warmth and idealized spaces. Through her evocative artwork,
she artfully explores the juxtaposition of cultural influences, seamlessly weaving together her Colombian roots with the European experiences accumulated over two decades. Lina Maria Rincon’s oeuvre reflects not only a celebration of the vivid beauty of South American summers but also serves as a poignant expression of her personal journey in search of belonging after two decades immersed in the diverse tapestry of European life.
4 - 25 April, Christine X Art Gallery, Sliema.
www.christinexart.com
MALTA
TETHERED
This impactful and emotive series of images were shot during the worst of the bushfires in Australia at the start of 2020. Through feelings of personal turmoil and disconnect, a new awareness of the significance of the relationships she held with the women around her and the safety she found in their presence led her to an exploration of the complexity of the roles and dynamics that exist between women.
The collection is raw in its expression; exploring narratives of pain, loneliness, the erosion of identity, and the shared experiences that tether women together in the face of systems that so often contaminate their bonds.
Given Sahhara’s experience as an Interior Designer, the exhibition was presented with a deeper consideration to the full experience of the space and respect towards the building itself. Through the use of scent, light and sound, Tethered offered on an immersive experience.
Paradoxum
The exhibition was co-coordinated by Jelena Petrovic and sponsored by iLab and Sounds Good.
www.OnlyTheDark.com @thedarksee
Masks are wonderfully paradoxical in this way: while they may hide the physical reality, they can show us how a person wants to be seen.
Paradoxum marks the debut solo exhibition by Dave Calleja, delving into the profound symbolism of masks. With a rich history, masks possess the power to conceal both beauty and ugliness, enveloping the wearer in mystery and allure. Calleja’s exploration was sparked by the Japanese saying that declares, “We have three faces. The first face, you show to the world. The second face, you show to your close friends and your family. The third face, you never show anyone.”
Calleja presents an enchanting series of masks, each portraying idiosyncratic characteristics. These creations underscore the notion that individuals often obscure their true selves, revealing specific personae based on their circumstances. The exhibition invites the viewer to be surrounded by numerous masks, creating a showcase where one can choose his/her ‘mask for the day’. Authenticity, according to Calleja, lies in the fact that each mask contains some real part of us.
Consistently using a black metallic metal devoid of distinct features as the ‘base’ for all masks, Calleja provides a poignant commentary on the perpetual quest for selfdiscovery - an exploration shaped by societal norms and social interactions.
Paradoxum by Dave Calleja runs from the 8th of March until the 31st of March at il-Kamra ta’ Fuq, Mqabba. The exhibition is curated by Melanie Erixon.
FFrank and I
Celebrating the life and work of Maltese modern artist Frank Portelli
rank u Jien (Frank and I) was an interdisciplinary curatorial project that set out to celebrate the life and work of Maltese modern artist Frank Portelli. It was conceived closely with the Portelli family, which, in a way that emulated the collaborative, experimental spirit with which he was able to push boundaries and contribute towards change on the Maltese islands.
Performed in February, it brought together some of Malta’s most exciting contemporary performing and visual artists, comprised of a series of performances which offered fragments from the artist’s archive. Making reference to the artist’s biography alongside defining works from the artist’s collection, as well as various key moments in Maltese art history, the project transcended any singular artistic medium to create a performative understanding of a critical point in Malta’s history.
Portelli studied in London, returning to Malta in the early 1950s to continue his practice and become one of the co-founders of the Malta Modern Art Circle. Frank u Jien makes reference
to Portelli’s professional, creative and intimate relationships, offering a fresh understanding of the artist and the time in which his practice flourished. It presents the experience of an archivist and researcher as they explore and decipher the remnants of the artist, interpreting his work and confronting both ‘Crystallised Cubism’ and ’Contours’, the two styles which he became predominantly known for.
Frank u Jien was curated by Andrew Borg Wirth and written by Maria Theuma, and took place within the original studio of the artist in Attard which was recently renovated by Valentino Architects and recognised with an award at the 2022 World Architecture Festival. The project was supported by Arts Council Malta and Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti and was the result of a long research and development process.
until 21.04.24
urated by Elyse Tonna & Sarah Chircop, Dream [of] Land is an interdisciplinary exhibition project combining narratives of identity, belonging, and home through the blurred overlap of art-making and craft. It brings together a body of collective work exploring the tangible manipulation of matter through acts of weaving, moulding and sculpting, not only of conventional materials but of narratives, memories and legacies. The exhibition seeks to question and redefine the significance of matter and materiality, by regarding it as an active agent with its own historicity and potentiality for dreams and change.
The debut photography exhibition of artist Sahhara
Artist Sahhara. Photo by Alisa K @im_alisa.k
MALTA
Photo by Lisa Attard
Joanna Scott
GHANA AND MALTA
Valletta Accra: A Dialogue Between Mercantile Cities
Public conversation on the work in progress, on Thursday 7th March at AP Valletta
Valletta Accra is a travelling research project that considers two capitals across two continents, re-evaluating their built heritage and provoking discussions of regeneration. The project aims to shed light on how both Accra and Valletta’s mercantile story has been shaped through centuries of colonial rule, continuing to have influence on their built fabric today. The project’s research team (AP Valletta, Ghanaian architect David Kojo Derban, and London-based Maltese writer and curator Ann Dingli), has travelled to both cities to conduct parallel observations, positioning
contrast and personal mapping as a methodology for revelation. Through this on-site observation and critical research, the project’s questions how heritage might develop in line with authentic permeations of identity and urban ambition.
Valletta Accra began in November 2023, when the team conducted the project’s first on-site workshop in Jamestown, Accra. A temporary exhibition was opened a month later in North Ridge, Accra at the Malta High Commission of Ghana, marking the first phase of the research project and launch a visual starting point to its comparative observation. Work by Ghanaian
photographer Paul Addo, AP’s Director of Research Guillaume Dreyfuss, and architect and photographer Luis Rodriguez Lopez, was displayed together with audio-visual material collected and edited by Ann Dingli during the field trips.
After delving into the cultural and historical development of Jamestown in Accra, the research is now progressing into its second phase, analysing the architectural and heritage transformations of the Grand Harbour in Valletta with a new series of workshops, looking at how the agency of trade, combined with colonial dynamics, affected the development of these urban environments. The outcomes will be shared and discussed within a public conversation led by the research team, open to all, at the AP Valletta offices in Valletta, on Thursday 7th March, from 18:30 onwards. More details about the
event can be found at www.apvalletta. eu/news
This project is supported by the Arts Council Malta - International Exchange Programme and by the Malta High Commission in Ghana.
Exhibition / Malta / Omena Foundation
March - June 2024
LUGINSLAND OF ART
INITIAL LAUNCH OF NEW CREATIVE HUB WITH SITE SPECIFIC EXHIBITION AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME
Curator Boris Kudlicka in collaboration with OmenaArt Foundation invites us to explore a dialogue between past and presence.
Villa Luginsland, founded by Baron Maximilian Tucher von Simmelsdorf, is a unique 19thcentury residential palace, considered to be one of the most magnificent buildings in Malta. The Grade I Historic Property situated in Rabat has once hosted such luminaries as Queen Victoria and Wilhelm II. For many years, the villa has remained untouched, until today, when it finally regains its welldeserved recognition. The project, envisioned by Omenaa Mensah, Polish philanthropist, art collector, and founder of OmenaArt Foundation, aims to breathe new life into this magnificent building. Rebranded as ‘LuginsLand of Art’, the villa aspires to evolve into a hub for exhibitions, discourse, and artistic events, fostering international artistic exchange and open dialogue across the dimensions of the past, present, and future. The project aims to be a
part of the international art scene, leading initiatives in the realms of design, architecture, and art.
LuginsLand of Art will open its door to the public with the inaugural exhibition “Space & Time” curated by a renowned Slovakian set designer and architect, Boris Kudlicka. The exhibition will showcase the works of renowned Maltese and Polish artists encompassing both site-specific installations which have been created in line with the curatorial concept and the historic reference of the site, as well as a curated selection of works from pre-existing series by the artists. These works will be displayed in designated areas within the villa’s indoor chambers and historic gardens. The visual narrative establishes an intriguing dialogue between Neo-Renaissance architecture and Contemporary Art, aiming to create an intersection between the past and present through intercultural exchange.
“The main inspiration for the exhibition is the villa itself, its profound history and marvellous architecture. We invited renowned Maltese artists to create site-specific works that represent the dialogue with the space and temporal dimensions of the villa. I am very happy with the diversity of the collection as the artists utilise different mediums and each of them presents their own unique perspective on the subject.”
Curator Boris Kudlicka
MALTA
Boris Kudlicka. Photo by Jacek Poremba
The commissioned site-specific art installations at LuginsLand of Art feature the works of Maltese artists Matthew Attard, Victor Agius, Mario Abela, and Antoine Farrugia. These pieces integrate history, nature, and architecture, with the respect to villa’s profound history. Each artist brings a unique perspective to their work, aiming to blend with the villa’s architectural and archaeological elements. From Matthew Attard’s digital landscapes to Victor Agius’s sculptures, these works evoke a dialogue between the past and present. Mario Abela’s installation prompts viewers to reflect on their impact on the world, while Antoine Farrugia’s use of Maltese limestone pays homage to the villa’s architecture. Together, these pieces form an intriguing display of artistic expression, inviting visitors to explore the intersection of time and space at LuginsLand of Art.
FEATURED ARTISTS
Mario Abela, Victor Agius, Matthew Attard, Norbert Attard, John Paul Azzopardi, Austin Camilleri, Monika Falkus, Antoine Farrugia, Nicolas Grospierre, Michał Jackowski, Ida Karkoszka, Lia Kimura, Marcin Maciejowski, Karol Palczak, Janek Simon, Nikola Vudrag, Xawery Wolski, Jakub Julian Ziółkowski, Maurycy Gomulicki.
THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME
The Educational Programme at LuginsLand of Art in Rabat invites participants to embark and immerse in conversations and dialogues with artists, academics, scientists, archaeologists, and architects, offering participants a unique opportunity to explore the intersection of art with various disciplines. Attendees will have the privilege of exploring the Villa and exhibition whilst embracing the historical and architectural elements of the space. The programme shall invite renowned artists, gaining insights into their creative processes and artistic philosophies. Scholars will provide illuminating perspectives on the historical and theoretical dimensions of art, enriching participants’ understanding of its cultural significance. Additionally, experts in science and technology will showcase the latest innovations shaping artistic expression, while archaeologists and architects will uncover the connections between art, archaeology, and architecture, revealing how these disciplines intertwine to shape our cultural landscape. Registration is required to participate in this programme. Secure your place now to join this dynamic intersection with Art and beyond at LuginsLand of Art’s educational events.
23rd March – Art & Architecture
6th April – Art & Archaeology
4th May – Art & Conservation
18th May – Art & Technology
31st May – Art & Legacy
Register online: www.luginslandofart.com
Artwork by Monika Falkus. Photo by Wojtek Ciszkiewicz
Victor Agius during his creative process. Press materials LuginsLand of Art
Site specific installation by Matthew Attard, courtesy of Galleria Michela Rizzo
Exhibition / Malta / Omena Foundation
March - June 2024
Other Geographies, Other Stories
Exploring activism from female perspective
The OmenaArt Foundation, established by Polish philanthropist Omenaa Mensah, presents a thematic pavilion at maltabiennale.art 2024.
OmenaArt Foundation is honoured to be part of maltabiennale.art 2024. I feel very proud because we have an opportunity to present a unique art collection to a wider audience and open a new form of artistic dialogue. For me, this event also has a personal dimension, as I will be able to fulfil one of my artistic dreams.” - Omenaa Mensah.
The OmenaArt Foundation is honoured to be part of maltabiennale. art 2024 with a thematic pavilion “Other Geographies, Other Stories”. Based on the curatorial concept by Hanna Wróblewska and curated by Natalia Bradbury, this unique exhibition is scheduled for Fort St Elmo in Valletta. Originating from Poland and Ukraine, the artists Barbara Falender, Iza Jagiełło, Ida Karkoszka, Lia Dostlieva, and Aleksandra Karpowicz unite in the creative exploration of transformation, migration, and the repercussions of turbulent changes. These themes serve as catalysts for profound inquiries into identity, nationality, and corporeality, pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a woman and an artist. Utilizing the mediums of sculpture, photography, video, and installation, the artists weave a common thread of activism through their work. Despite diverse generational and artistic backgrounds, they find a convergence of experiences within a shared narrative.
The curator Natalia Bradbury points out that the exhibition’s narrative
perfectly matches the character of the island. Malta, as a place that has been a combination of different geographies and stories for thousands of years, becomes an ideal landscape for the artists. In an era marked by climatic, social, and political upheavals, the artists raise a fundamental question: Can we forge a new world with a different order? They question whether today’s conflicts stem from the same principles as in ancient Mediterranean civilizations –struggle, exploitation, revenge, and tribalism. Exhibiting for the first time in Malta, the artists bring a unique perspective on the potential for change not only in times of peace but also in times of war. Their collective timeless message emphasises values such as empathy, reflection, compassion, sensual pleasure, care, and solidarity, which resonates in a broader global context.
The OmenaArt Foundation was established by Polish philantropist, businesswoman, and art lover Omenaa Mensah to lead projects in the realms of art, architecture, and design. It is engaged in philanthropic activity, such as coordination of the Grand Charity Auction, one of the most prestigious events in Europe that promotes the best Polish and international artists. The Foundation is also working on building an art collection, supporting young artists and cultural institutions. OmenaArt Foundation is also involved in the revitalization of historic buildings in Poland, Italy, and Malta.
Body as Home Installation by Aleksandra Karpowicz
SHE Artwork by Barbara Falender
Omenaa Mensah. Photo by Kurt Paris
Interview / maltabiennale.art / Rethinking Lampedusa. Rethinking Malta
March - June 2024
ERICA GIUSTA
‘Rethinking Lampedusa. Rethinking Malta’
Erica Giusta in conversation with Roberta Esposito, Leonardo Caffo and Carlo Alberto Giardina, the research group behind one of the key contributions to the upcoming Curatorial Public Programme of maltabiennale.art
‘‘Rethinking Lampedusa.
Rethinking Malta’ presents itself as a hybrid educationalartistic and performative project, partaking in the mission of this Biennale and its Public Programme to positively impact local communities in a direct way, by committing to “breaking down barriers and creating a more inclusive and vibrant cultural scene across the islands” as the Biennale curatorial team explains. “The
Programme aims to be a transformative initiative that not only showcases contemporary art but also empowers communities and individuals to become active participants in their own cultural heritage. The heart of the programme lies in its series of workshops, strategically located at various Biennale venues – these workshops will be open to the public, making art education and cultural enrichment accessible to all. The artworks will serve as an activating
device for these workshops, triggering inclusive processes of cultural fruition, allowing participants to explore their creative potential and connect with the works in a manner that is both visceral and personal.”
Amongst the projects of the Public Programme, ‘Rethinking Lampedusa. Rethinking Malta’ explores the visceral and the personal in a most real and honest way, by prioritizing the human
element at all times, and at all stages of development. From the experience of communal life in Lampedusa to that of the ensuing crossing towards the shores of Malta, the project requires a serious commitment on a personal level from all participants. Structured as an art-residency and coordinated by philosopher and writer Leonardo Caffo, it will involve a mixed group of artists, photographers, musicians, and students from the MADE - Accademia delle Belle
is Director of Innovation at architecture firm AP Valletta. She read for an MA in Architecture, and has a Post-Graduate Master from the Sole24Ore Business School in Milan. She contributes regularly to academic journals and international architecture magazines such as A10 New European Architecture and Il Giornale dell’Architettura.
“Mending the Mediterranean is a journey that transcends geographical boundaries, inviting participants to reflect on their place in the world, to rethink preconceived notions of borders and identity, as an invitation to collectively reimagine the future”
The probable absence of other encounters, with the migrants themselves, will be as meaningful as the presence of the others.
Arti of Siracusa (Italy) and the Malta College of Arts Science and Technology, who will draw an imaginary geo-political mapping of the island of Lampedusa and its dominant narratives, followed by an 18-hour long journey towards Malta on two boats confiscated by the Italian maritime authorities to human traffickers. These boats will be repurposed as vessels of hope, as symbols of possible change and positive transformation, highlighting “the resilience of a sense of faith that echoes with the shared struggles and aspirations of those who have traversed the Mediterranean in search of a better life”, as the team explains.
Once in Malta, the group will contribute to the maltabiennale.art with a series of talks and activities revolving around the central theme of migration in the Mediterranean, which will take place in a space set up by the group as a ‘meditative chamber’ at the Armoury of the Knights in Birgu. A collective meditation will be encouraged and guided by the project’s curators, who will also present “Il mare mi ha rifiutato”, a site-specific installation referencing the connection between the two islands.
“The symbolic connection between the two islands aims to become a vessel for dialogue, understanding, and empathy. Mending the Mediterranean is a journey that transcends geographical boundaries, inviting participants to reflect on their place in the world, to rethink preconceived notions of borders and identity, as an invitation to collectively reimagine the future”, Roberta explains, while Leonardo adds that the perspective is one that considers the Mediterranean ‘a territory’, independently from Shenghen agreements and Frontex-patrolled borders.
What is this Mediterranean made of? Who are we and what is our role in the dynamics at play in this territory, in which 28,000 people died in the past ten years, while trying to cross it? Can we immerse ourselves in this context of uncertainty and migration? What is Malta’s responsibility? What are our responsibilities as individuals?
This structured drifting on the Southern borders of Europe, between two centres at the periphery
Photo by Martina Fettolini
ERICA GIUSTA
Interview / maltabiennale.art / Rethinking Lampedusa. Rethinking Malta
March - June 2024
of two conflicting worlds, will tackle several key questions engaging critically with the condition of migrants in both Lampedusa and Malta, challenging the existing geo-political borders and the idea of nation-state, “speculating on the concept of the island as an utopia where an inclusive, communal and reciprocal way of living is possible” as the team wrote in their curatorial statement. Through different workshops and participatory practices, as well as through a shared experience of communal living, the research group will reflect on alternative methodologies of production of knowledge such as collection of objets trouvés or sampling of sounds, documentation with different media, including collective ‘journaling’ on a Moleskine which will be exhibited at the Biennale, therefore embracing art as a radical response to current urgencies and pressing uncertainties.
In doing so, the group also reaffirms the socio-political value of art as a guiding light in the perilous navigation of contemporary complexities – borrowing a metaphor in theme with the subject, revolving around the migratory phenomena concerning the Mediterranean.
The concept of ‘Rethinking Lampedusa. Rethinking Malta’ resonates well with the approach to the cultural landscape of the Maltese islands adopted by Sofia Baldi Pighi, artistic director of maltabiennale.art, who conceives the event as “a Mediterranean platform that intends to investigate insular thinking, able to see the island not as a postcard utopia but as a delimitation that produces learning and encounters”. In fact, the project will also foster multiple encounters: between Italian
“A Mediterranean platform that intends to investigate insular thinking, able to see the island not as a postcard utopia but as a delimitation that produces learning and encounters”
The perspective is one that considers the Mediterranean ‘a territory’, independently from Shenghen agreements and Frontex-patrolled borders.
MALTA
and Maltese students, first and foremost, with their mix of Eurodialectical and Anglo-analytical mindsets, and between different audiences of the Malta Biennale once the group will sail into the Grand Harbour, in mid-May. The probable absence of other encounters, with the migrants themselves, will be as meaningful as the presence of the others. Almost paradoxically, the key subjects of most investigations, which redefined the identity of Lampedusa as a ‘less-hostile’ doorway to Europe on the one hand, and of Malta as a ruthless state collaborating with conniving Libyan entities on the other hand, the very people who put their lives at risk at sea, will not be accessible due to strict protocols which force them into armored detention centres as soon as they are rescued. “When you’re in Lampedusa, migrants are nowhere to be seen”, Leonardo tells us. Conceptually, it is as if the entire migratory phenomenon in all its whirling force was converging towards this tiny point in the middle of the Mediterranean, only to get swallowed by it like by a gurgling drain.
Narratives of absence, of reconciliation and of cultural and political positioning will be unfolded, interpreted and shared, positively impacting the Maltese community with what the team hopes will be a story that will survive way beyond the Biennale, breaking through the indifference and the fear of speaking up that has often crippled the debate on migration, locally.
The Public Programme of maltabiennale.art will run between the 11th March and 31st May 2024. For more info, visit https:// maltabiennale.art/
Photo by Maria Vittoria
Exhibition / Malta / New Gallery / Sassolino
March - June 2024
SCONFINAMENTI
An exhibition by Arcangelo Sassolino at the newly established University of Malta Gallery of Art
MALTA
HANNAH DOWLING
Arcangelo Sassolino, Untitled, 2023, installed next to Ditta Michele Gherardi (1837-1904), Dying Gaul, at the University’s Valletta Campus Gibsoteka. Photo by Chiara Galea
ajestic yet brutalist, heavy yet fragile, graceful yet provocative; the nature of a paradox essentially underlines the contradictory nature of a statement and the conflicting nature of an artwork, with elements that adhere to its understanding. In this respect, the coherent play of paradoxes and the pushing of traditional boundaries in the artistic practice of Arcangelo Sassolino (b. 1967) are at the helm of this understanding, whereby such works offer an intriguing dialogue between traditionality and modernity, the past and the present, the elegance, and the brutality. By nature, Sassolino’s practice is deeply rooted in mechanisation and the use of industrial-brutalist materials. When contextualising his practice, it evidently emerges as a direct result of industrialisation, where mechanisation and technological advancement became prevalent. Sassolino’s artistic practice bears an interesting position within this context, for Sassolino alters the form of his brutalist materials. By placing enforced mechanised pressure on these materials, namely metal, steel, and concrete, Sassolino aims to ‘push the material past its physical limitations, allowing it to take on a new voice, a new form’ and thus gives ‘a new chance to sculpture.’ As a result, he manipulates his materials and succeeds in transforming them into elegant creations, as seen in his series of concrete and glass hanging sculptures currently exhibited in an exhibition entitled SCONFINAMENTI at the University of Malta’s Valletta Campus. Sassolino uses mechanisation as a way of extending the life of matter beyond the creative act.
HANNAH DOWLING is a graduate in art history, is a currently completing a Curating Contemporary Art (MA) programme at the Royal College of Art in London.
Curated by Keith Sciberras and project managed by Chiara Galea, SCONFINAMENTI is the inaugural exhibition of the newly established University of Malta Gallery of Art located at the Valletta Campus. The exhibition is the result of collaborative work that Sciberras and Sassolino have been undertaking as curator and artist for the past years. This collaboration had at its onset the project ‘Diplomazija Astuta’ (Commissioner: Arts Council Malta; Curators: Keith Sciberras & Jeffrey Uslip; Artists: Arcangelo Sassolino, Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci, Brian Schembri) that was presented as the Malta Pavilion at the 59th International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia in 2022. Emerging directly from his work for ‘Diplomazija Astuta’, Sassolino is also presenting at SCONFINAMENTI a series of works on paper that dialogue with and capture the impact of his drops of molten steel that were at the heart of his impressive and monumental central installation for the Malta Pavilion (2022).
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Photo by
Arcangelo Sassolino Studio
Photo by Marco Valmarana, courtesy Belmond
Where imagination, reality, nature, humanity… become one
INTERVIEW BY LILY AGIUS
Painter Alejandro Pasquale shares his vision of the world which he translates into his art.
Interview / Painting / Alejandro Pasquale
Your figures are usually with their eyes or faces covered and surrounded or shrouded in foliage. Can you explain this way of depicting your subjects. Can you also discuss your love of nature and how it reflects in your work. It is a way of not individualizing the human, but of making him or her part of a whole thing. Surely when we see a painting of a portrayed human being we immediately go to the face, and many times to identify a resemblance to someone or to evaluate that face. By completely or partially covering the faces, I cancel that possibility, the observer no longer sees a portrait, rather than an amalgamation of living beings that are part of the same nature.
My love for nature is simply because I can see it. I can feel it and live and coexist with it. I am sure that whoever allows themselves to feel part of her will not dare to hurt her or despise her. Whoever simply stops to contemplate this wonderful planet in which we cohabit with so many other living beings, will undoubtedly fall in love with it, feel part of it, will care for it and protect it with their own actions, and will try to correct the harmful actions of other humans. In my work I try to convey the unity that I feel with nature, of which I believe we are a part of, and I believe that it is vital for humanity to once again understand itself as a part of it and not just the owners of it. We are an impermanent part of it!
Do you paint with a theme and idea in mind and execute it close to how you planned, or does a painting’s
result and meaning change over the course of working on it?
I work from ideas or visions. From these ideas I make sketches and base the painting on them. Many times it varies in terms of composition, elements, and so on, but yes, I execute my work based on ideas and sketches that arise from them.
What’s your process when approaching the start of a new painting or collection?
I work every day, even many weekends too, a week or two may go by without a specific project, but I am always
LILY AGIUS is a History of Art Graduate, art dealer and gallerist based in Malta, travelling the world for inspiration.
sketching or painting. From what I mentioned above, I do not have a process or ritual to start a work, but a way of life which are my daily routines. In these routines I try to meditate very early every day, once I finish the meditation I go to my studio, play music, light incense and prepare a drink called Mate – it’s an infusion that is drunk in this region practically throughout the day. I paint from about 8am to 4pm, some days more, some days less. Since I live in a house in the middle of the mountains of Argentine Patagonia, I go out a lot for walks in the mountains and the forest with my dogs. I like to take advantage of the last hours of sunshine to do so.
Since you are self taught, what methods did you tackle to teach yourself the techniques you use and to master how you work with oil paint?
Every painting I make is a new challenge, I really learn in every new job I start. My way of learning is to not to be afraid to do it, I just do it, in the painting everything has a solution. If it doesn’t look good, it can always be fixed.
How would you describe the art scene in Argentina? How do you get your art fix in Argentina?
Despite participating in galleries, art fairs, and exhibitions for many years, I am not immersed in that world here in Argentina, and I am not interested to be. My art is simply my tool of expression. I
have many artist friends, whom I go to their exhibitions, but it’s not that I make compulsive tours from gallery to gallery. I am more of a lover and consumer of musical art than of visual arts without a doubt... it’s just that I found my tool of expression in painting.
What music do you listen to in the studio?
I listen to a lot of music. I like to make lists and discover new musicians everyday. Some of the artists that I play a lot in my studio are (in no order of importance): Aldous Harding, Hermanos Gutierrez, José Gonzalez, Big Thief, Kevin Morby, Flavien Berger, Blur, Helado Negro, Masego, Wilco, Radiohead, Mathieu Booagerts, Tommy Guerrero, Skinshape, Gustavo Ceratti, Luis Alberto Spinetta... I think that I could mention thousands of names!
Where will you be exhibiting next and what are you working on now?
I just finished an exhibition in Toronto, Canada. The next one that is already scheduled is a group exhibition at Beinart Gallery in Australia this month, March 2024, for which I am working on some small works for the exhibition. Also this year I have scheduled some collective and solo shows with ASCASO gallery in Miami/Venezuela and with SAISHO Gallery in Madrid.
La magia entre nosotros Nucleo
La ceremonia, Working in Progress
Exhibition / Malta and Spain
March - June 2024
MALTA AND SPAIN
(M)other!
Ahead of the experimental exhibition taking place in Rabat and Barcelona, the three co-curators, Alexia Medici, Pilar Cruz, and Margerita Pulè talk about the impetus, research and conversations behind “Mater”.
Alexia Medici: It started off by chance. Living nearby, I often stroll around the “Gardens of Maternity” in Barcelona. The enclosure is dotted with imposing trees, classic sculptures referencing maternity, and various pavilions of contrasting architectural styles, home to a medley of health centres, laboratories, and tax departments.
Looking into the location’s history, I discovered that the complex, officially called the “Provincial Maternity and Foundling House of Barcelona”, reflects post-colonial societal attitudes towards childbirth and healthcare. Considered state-of-the-art for its time, it included a maternity ward for unmarried women to discreetly leave their unwanted babies, pavilions dedicated to the treatment of breastfed and weaned babies, and a Montessori school set up by Maria Montessori herself.
We have come a long way from the days when women were allowed in the workplace only until the birth of their first child, or from when a woman without children was stigmatised. However, many preconceptions around motherhood still exist, and it was fascinating to take the etymology of the work, and see where it led.
I invited artists Kristina Borg and Raphael Vella to the project, asking them to continue Alexia’s original thoughts, but to follow their own interests and research areas. Kristina reacted almost in opposition to the brief - she created a work that is simultaneously full of resistance and very compassionate. Her work is inspired by a series of conversations which she held with women who have opted not to have children, exploring the expectations and assumptions they faced. Raphael came from an equally political place, but explored motherhood’s instrumentalisation within propaganda, specifically in times of war. Described in sequence like this, the works speak to what’s going on in the world at the moment; increased military rhetoric, populism and use of force around the world.
They also form a conversation around healthcare and social care across time; Kristina refers to the ruota (foundling wheel) at the exhibition site; which can be seen as a tool of care, but also of societal coercion. Similarly, the references to obstetric violence in Raphael’s work juxtapose an element of care, with that of something far more sinister.
Pilar Cruz: When Alexia asked me to participate in “Mater” I had just finished reading Vienen de noche, by anthropologist Julia Carreras in which she speaks about the magical dimension of witchcraft in the centuries before the witch hunts.
I was also attracted to the semantic breadth of the term mater in the proposal; this deviation from the common term ‘maternity’ which carries so many preconceived ideas - towards the verb ‘to mother’. The shift frees motherhood from the idea that there is one unique, desirable way to
Etymologically, mater takes on a set of unexpected connotations which range from motherland (patria, “fatherland” in Spanish), to checkmate, matriculate, alma mater, matter, part of the brain, killing, mating, and even tomato, depending on the language. Intrigued, I wanted to expand on this diversity, connect it with new contexts, and bring it home, to start a conversation around it in Malta.
Margerita Pulè: I was very happy to be invited to work on this project, and to explore motherhood from a different viewpoint. Historically motherhood, childbirth and childcare have been present to varying degrees during different decades and feminist waves; they have been alternately dismissed, ignored or deified.
Agustín Ortiz Herrera, detail of spores and fungi which the artist allows to grow during the exhibition as part of his installation
A page from Ulisse Aldrovandi’s proto-encyclopaedia Monstrorum Historia, which is used by Agustín Ortiz Herrera to create his work
be a mother. Maternity acquires more nuances. Mothering and being a mother are not the same thing; it is not necessary to have had a child to be a mother.
In this way a Mediaeval midwife mothered in the act of protecting, a mother mothered her children in their care, and equally a peasant mothered her crops; this was the idea I put forward to the artists Irene Pérez-Gil and Vanesa Varela. Both work with textile techniques, and it seemed appropriate to open a gathering, a coven with them, to explore the diverse meanings of motherhood to propose a new creation; interwoven artworks, like an expanded textile fanzine.
Vanesa’s installation is based on the idea of mothering as inter-species responsibility that occurs, for example, with domesticated plants. This care, accompaniment, and co-responsibility towards other species were central to the figure of the witch. And then there is the question of which species tames, or mothers which.
Motherhood holds significant importance in Irene’s artistic practice, reflecting a profound connection to the women of previous generations and their collective
prescribed it as fact. The bear, venerated by ancient Nordic communities, was demonised by the Church and seen as an overtly sexual being, whose mother tongue, which ‘licked her cubs into shape’, risked subverting the word of God.
cultural conception of life sciences, and reminding us of its political roots.
wisdom. The artworks in the exhibition draw upon the knowledge passed down by Irene’s grandmothers, particularly concerning plants and their traditional uses. As a descendant of witches and wise women Irene perceived the coven where we crafted our work for “Mater,” as engaging in “a nurturing and nonanthropocentric witchcraft”.
Alexia Medici: Inspired by the idea of exhibiting in two national archives, connected historically to the care of foundlings (abandoned babies), I decided to look backwards, to when the concepts of “woman”, “mother” and “Other” became interlinked with the world of witches and monsters.
The works of artists Charlotte Nordgren Sewell and Agustín Ortiz Herrera invite the viewer to contemplate what we take for granted, how this judgement is related to contemporary scientific knowledge and its political context. In other words, if what we know affects how we perceive our surroundings, who decides what we know?
Charlotte’s work stems from Mediaeval bestiary: an encyclopaedia on the animal kingdom written from a moralising Christian, binary perspective, and
In The History of Monsters, a protoencyclopaedia of species by Ulisse Aldrovandi, the Renaissance naturalist tries to classify apparent natural anomalies, such as malformations, fossils, and mythological creatures. Surprisingly, the book also includes the female reproductive system, androgyny, and peoples of other races, intertwining pre-modern scientific curiosity with superstition, racism, misogyny, and prejudice.
Agustín Ortiz Herrera ‘hacks’ a selection of Aldrovandi’s illustrations with spores and fungi - that, until recently, remained unclassified. During the period of the exhibition, these queer beings will expand and colonise the surfaces, transforming the illustrations’ iconography, thus interfering in the
“Mater” has evolved over its lifetime; through many conversations, covenmeetings and exchanges, notions and meanings were examined and upended; beliefs and complacencies challenged. Unexpected meanings were discovered and newly formed, to bring together, what we hope is an exciting amalgam of ideas.
“Mater” is open at the National Archives of Malta (Rabat) between the 9th and 30th of March, and will evolve at the Historical Archive of the Barcelona Provincial Council (at the Provincial Maternity and Foundling House of Barcelona), between the 9th of May and the 10th of June, 2024. Participating artists are Kristina Borg, Charlotte Nordgren Sewell, Agustín Ortiz Herrera, Irene Pérez Gil, Vanesa Varela and Raphael Vella. “Mater” is supported by Arts Council Malta, the Malta Tourism Authority, and the Spanish Embassy in Malta.
Vanesa Varela, Drawing of a movement (domus 1), 2024, (detail)
Charlotte Nordgren Sewell, Lick Me to Life, 2024, video still
Raphael Vella, The Mother Whose Name We Bear, 2023, video animation 5’39” (video still)
Big Magic ON A SMALL STAGE
- ERCO “ “
Lighting is essential, and planning should be an intrinsic step when setting up any space. However, preparation is often overlooked, but when planned well lighting can be more energy and cost efficient as well as effective. Artpaper speaks to Peter Cutajar, Light Consultant and Director and the founder of Light Design Solutions, about just this and the perfect lighting for art.
What are the key questions to ask oneself when at the planning stage of lighting a room?
When planning the lighting for a room, whether its in a home, workplace or gallery, there are several key questions to consider:
What is the primary function of the space? Understanding how the room will be used will help determine the type and intensity of lighting needed. For example, a workspace may require brighter, task oriented lighting, while a living room may benefit from softer, ambient lighting for relaxation.
What mood or atmosphere do I want to create? Lighting plays a significant
role in setting the ambience of a room. Consider whether you want the space to feel cosy and intimate, bright, energetic or somewhere In between.
What is the natural light situation?
Take into account the amount of natural light the room receives throughout the day and how it changes with the time of day and season. This will help determine the need for artificial lighting and how it should complement or supplement natural light.
What are the specific lighting requirements for tasks or activities in the room? Identify any specific tasks or activities that will take place in the room, such as reading, cooking,
or artwork display. Different tasks may require different types of lighting, such as task lighting, accent lighting or ambient lighting.
How can I create a balanced lighting scheme? Aim for a combination of ambient, task, and accent lighting to provide overall illumination, task specific lighting, and highlights for decorative elements or focal points in the room. Balancing these different types of lighting will enhance visual comfort and functionality.
What are the aesthetic considerations? Consider how the lighting fixtures themselves contribute to the overall design and style of the room. Choose
fixtures that complement the décor and the architectural features while also fulfilling the functional lighting needs.
How can I maximise the energy efficiency? Explore energy-efficient lighting options such as bulbs, dimmer switches, and motion sensors to reduce energy consumption and operating costs while minimising environmental impact.
By addressing these key questions during the planning stage, you can create a well- lit space that enhances both its functionality and aesthetic appeal, whether its in a home, workplace or gallery setting.
MALTA
How important would you say lighting is when designing any space?
Lighting is incredibly important when designing any space, as it has a significant impact on the overall ambiance functionality and visual appeal of the environment. Here’s why:
Ambience and mood: Lighting sets the mood and ambience of a space. Different lighting levels and colour temperatures can evoke various emotions and feelings. For example, warm, dim lighting can create a cosy and intimate atmosphere, while bright, cool lighting can convey a sense of energy and alertness.
Functionality and task performance: Proper lighting is essential for performing tasks effectively and safely. Task specific lighting, such as desk lamps or under cabinet lighting in kitchens, ensures that people can see clearly and perform tasks with precision.
Visual Comfort: Well planned lighting contributes to visual comfort by reducing glare, shadows and eye strain. Glare from improperly positioned light sources can be uncomfortable and even hazardous, particularly in workplaces or areas where concentration is required.
Highlighting architectural features and artwork: Lighting can be used to accentuate architectural features, artwork or decorative elements within a space, drawing attention to focal points and enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal.
Safety and security: Adequate lighting is crucial for maintaining safety and security in both indoor and outdoor spaces. Properly lit pathways, staircases and entryways reduce the risk of accidents and deter potential intruders. Energy efficiency: thoughtful lighting design can also contribute to energy efficiency by incorporating energy-
saving technologies such as led bulbs, daylight harvesting systems, and motion sensors. Maximising natural light whenever possible can further reduce reliance on artificial lighting sources.
If lighting is not planned beforehand, several problems may arise:
Inadequate illumination: without proper planning, there may be areas of the space that are poorly lit or overly bright, leading to discomfort and difficulty performing tasks.
Inefficient use of energy: without consideration for energy-efficient lighting options and strategies, the space may consume more energy than necessary, resulting in higher utility bills and increased environmental impact.
Mismatched aesthetics: lighting fixtures that do not complement the overall design aesthetic of the space can detract form its visual appeal and coherence.
Safety Hazards: Insufficient lighting in key areas can create safety hazards, such as trip hazards or obstacls that are difficult to see.
Limited Flexibility: without proper planning, there may be limited flexibility to adjust lighting levels or accommodate different activities and occasions with the space.
Overall, effective lighting design is essential for creating comfortable, functional, and visually appealing spaces, and careful planning is crucial to avoid potential problems and maximise the benefits of lighting in any environment.
Why is Erco ideal for lighting art?
Erco only uses highest quality leds to ensure perfect colour rendition and to protect art from UV radiation and they
have a very high CRI (colour rendering Index) of 97 which is required to bring out the original colours painted by the artist. The precise optics direct light only where it is needed.
What does Erco offer in terms of technology and design?
With one fitting you can change from a 6 degree beam to variable zoom lenses with round and oval light distribution as well as wall washers and framing optics – Erco offers all light distributions as interchangeable accessories. By inserting a filter on the same light fitting you can also change the colour temperatures from 2700K, 3000K, 3500K and 4000K and CRI will still remain 97. This is the advantage that Erco offers with their range.
How does it contrast in effectiveness and efficiency to a regular spot light fitting and bulb?
Using versatile lighting fixtures that allow for interchangeable filters, lenses and colour temperatures can be highly beneficial, particularly in spaces like galleries where the displays change regularly. Here’s why:
Cost Effectiveness: Investing in a single light fixture that can be adapted to create various scenes and moods through interchangeable components can be more cost effective than purchasing multiple specialised fixtures for different purposes.
Flexibility and Adaptability: interchangeable filters, lenses and colour temperatures provide flexibility to adapt the lighting to different exhibits, artworks or installations without the need for extensive rewiring or fixture replacement. This flexibility allows curator to tailor the lighting to complement the specific requirements and aesthetic of each display.
Efficiency and sustainability: by utilising a single lighting fixture for multiple purposes, there is less waste generated from discarded fixtures and fewer resources consumed in manufacturing and installation. This aligns with sustainability goals and reduces the environmental footprints of the gallery’s operations.
Consistency: Using the same lighting fixture across different exhibits helps maintain consistency in lighting quality and performance throughout the gallery space. This consistency ensures that visitors experience a cohesive and
visually pleasing environment as they move from one exhibit to another.
Ease of Maintenance: Standardizing lighting fixtures simplifies maintenance and upkeep processes, as staff only need to familiarise themselves with one type of fixture and stock a single set of replacement parts. This streamlines maintenance tasks and reduces downtime associated with repairs and replacements.
Enhanced creativity: The ability to adjust beam angles, colour temperature and intensity levels provides curators and designers with greater creative freedom to experiment with different lighting effects and create immersive experiences that enhance the narrative and impact of the exhibits.
So, using light fixtures with interchangeable components offers numerous advantages, including cost effectiveness, flexibility, sustainability, consistency, ease of maintenance and enhanced creative possibilities. The approach is particularly beneficial in dynamic environments like galleries, where the ability to adapt lighting to changing displays is essential for creating engaging and memorable visitor experiences.
What is the best light temperature when lighting artwork? It all depends on the colour used in the artwork. When there is a mixture of colour, it is best to use both 3000K and 4000K.
Can you discuss the latest commission you had and what was achieved?
We have used Erco products in the new lighting project at the oratory in St Johns Cathedral exhibiting The Beheading of St John The Baptist and St Jerome Writing by Caravaggio. As everyone knows the artist is using chiaroscuro technique. By leveraging Erco products in the lighting design for Caravaggio’s The Beheading of St. John The Baptist you can effectively highlight the artist’s chiaroscuro technique and create a captivating viewing experience that stays true to the original intent of the artwork.
For more information or an appointment visit Light Design Solutions at 90A Salvu Psaila Street, Birkirkara or call +356 2149 6843. www.lds.com.mt
Review / Malta Pavilion at the Biennale Arte 2024 / The Biennale of Sydney
March - June 2024
VENICE
I WILL FOLLOW THE SHIP
THE 60TH INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION IN VENICE
Maltese artist Matthew Attard shall be representing Malta at the prestigious 60th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Established in 1895, La Biennale di Venezia is a platform for the exhibition of the works of international artists and is recogised as one of the most prestigious international cultural institutions for the presentation and promotion of contemporary art.
Matthew Attard’s solo show, entitled I will follow the ship and consisting of a new art commission weaving together cultural heritage and cutting-edge AI-driven technology, will be co-curated by ItalianAmerican curator Sara Dolfi Agostini and Maltese curator Elyse Tonna, both active in the Maltese art scene through several institutional collaborations. Maria Galea and Galleria Michela Rizzo shall oversee the Project Management.
The project explores ideas of human existence and survival at the point of convergence between history and future, physical experience, and digital input. It originates from the artist’s latest explorations into AI and drawing technology, fused with his interest for historical images of ex-voto ship graffiti, vernacular iconographies which speak of ancient local tales of faith and salvation across the Mediterranean. Located on the facades of several wayside chapels on the islands, these ephemeral etchings in stone were possibly crafted by seafarers because of the religious significance and political immunity these buildings offered.
TEN THOUSAND SUNS
The Biennale of Sydney is a major international art festival and the largest contemporary art event of its kind in Australia. The 24th edition, titled Ten Thousand Suns, will run from the 9th of March until the 10th of June.
The 24th Biennale of Sydney proposes celebration as both a method and a source of joy, with an exhibition of contemporary art at its core, the event draws from multiple histories, to explore connected thematic threads, from the celebration of the resurgence of First Nations technologies and knowledges, the history of Islam in Australia, to Queer resilience, and the international expression of Carnivale. The program also explores the atomic era, a concentrated time of climate alteration through human exploitation, within the context of today’s moment of climate emergency and a refusal to concede to an apocalyptic vision of the future.
Marking the Biennale of Sydney’s 50th anniversary year, the 2024 edition challenges Western fatalistic constructions of the apocalypse and embraces a hopeful outlook around a possible future lived in joy, produced in common and shared widely.
The 2024 edition will feature 88 artists and collectives from 47 countries including Australia, Indonesia, Brazil, Ukraine, United States of America, United Kingdom, Mexico, Aotearoa New Zealand, India, and Japan. Selected artists have practices firmly rooted in diverse communities and artistic vocabularies.
“Ten Thousand Suns departs from an acknowledgement of a multiplicity of perspectives, cosmologies, and ways of
Matthew is working on their legacy in contemporary culture, in a series of drawings called Id-Dghajjes tal-Fidili. The title refers to their role as vessels of hope and depository of faith. However, the term “fidil” that Attard uses in this context has a multitude of meanings. Deriving from the Latin word “fidelis”, it literally means faith or faithful, but in Maltese spoken language, the term “fidil” also denotes someone who foolishly (blindly) trusts everyone, or everything.
The meanings and values of these anonymous ship drawings reverberate in our present times, where computer technology and the internet have propelled mass artistic emancipation and overturned traditional local centers of power.
This is the point of departure of Attard’s project for the Malta Pavilion, conceived to catalyze the attention of the spectator via technological devices which allow for digital interaction and collective speculative thinking about the future. In fact, the ship graffiti are unique to Malta, yet resonate with many cultures whose relationship with the sea has been - and still is - crucial, as evidenced by Venice’s own inscriptions. At a time of climate change, rising sea levels, and questions of people’s place in a hyper-technological world, these humble marks of hope, root metaphors deeply embedded in human consciousness, drift in the middle of the Pavilion to reveal what hides behind screens and beliefs.
life that have always woven together the world under the sun. A multiplicity of suns conveys ambiguous images. It evokes a scorching world, both in several cosmological visions and very much in our moment of climate emergency. But it also conveys the joy of cultural multiplicities affirmed, of First Nations understandings of the cosmos brought to the fore, and of carnivals as forms of resistance in contexts that have surpassed colonial oppression.
“The 24th Biennale of Sydney works with these different layers of meaning, acknowledging the deep ecological crises derived from colonial and capitalist exploitation while refusing to concede to an apocalyptic vision of the future. The 24th Biennale of Sydney proposes instead solar and radiant forms of resistance that affirm collective possibilities around a future that is not only possible, but necessary to be lived in joy and plenitude,” Artistic Directors Cosmin Costinas and Inti Guerrero.
Never Walk In Anyone’s Shadow (2023), Anne Samat, Rattan sticks, kitchen and garden utensils, beads, ceramic, metal and plastic ornaments. Photo by Brian Holcombe. Courtesy of the artist and Marc Straus, New York
June
MALTA
2024 UNVEILED
MSA’s Artistic Evolution
The Malta Society of Arts (MSA) is embarking on bold and innovative ventures this year. With a rich history spanning 172 years since its founding in 1852, the MSA has consistently blended a conservative tradition with avant-garde sensibilities. This dynamic approach has now given rise to a fresh, artist-run programme for the year 2024.
Building upon the momentum generated by the celebrations of the MSA’s 100 years at Palazzo de La Salle in 2023, which featured two
exhibitions, a research publication, and a captivating concert series exploring the institution’s archives, the MSA continues to reinterpret its history within contemporary contexts. The pivotal question of ‘what is the role of the Society today, and how can it be best actualised?’ serves as the guiding principle for the developments in 2024. The 2024 programme aims to push boundaries, exploring eclectic and adventurous directions.
The music and performing arts programme for 2024 unfolds through two curated strands - ConTempo and Sustain-Delay, overseen by artistic directors Karl Fiorini and Kurt Buttigieg, respectively. These programmes intersect at certain points and diverge at others. Comprising 13 events throughout the year, these concerts showcase a diverse lineup of both Maltese and international artists, spanning genres from jazz and classical to IDM and ambient techno.
Notably, the 2024 programme challenges the conventional spaces and programming expectations associated with the MSA and its residence, Palazzo de La Salle. An example is the ConTempo series’ inaugural concert, “Kazett,” scheduled for 21 March. This performance brings together the rhythmic prowess of jazz drummer Guzè Camilleri, the classical finesse of pianist Gabi Sultana, and the electronic innovation of Koen Tryssesoone.
For the first time in a century, the Society will also extend its events
beyond Palazzo de La Salle, hosting underground experimental music legends Pole and Andy Stott at Liquid Club in San Gwann in June and July. These performances will also feature local headliners such as Ghostt and Dean Wengrow.
During the summer, the Society will organise its annual exhibition, titled “CLAY / CRAFT / CONCEPT,” a deep dive into the world of ceramics. Exploring the distinction between functional clay objects and sculptural ceramics, the exhibition examines contemporary clay-making, both on the island and internationally. By juxtaposing functional clay objects with ceramic sculptures and ancient pottery, the exhibition prompts reflections on craft-oriented practices within the realm of fine art.
The Society has long been a stronghold for supporting clay education and crafts. Building on this legacy, CLAY / CRAFT / CONCEPT also brings the Society’s activity into dialogue with contemporary currents of thought. Additionally, the Society is expanding its educational offerings with “Variations on Emergence”, a studio residency aimed at emerging artists based in Malta, running for six months. This initiative addresses the scarcity of collaborative studio space and supports emerging artists in developing dedicated studio practices.
In parallel to the above, a dynamic calendar of events will also unfold through 12 exhibitions featuring artists like Stefan Spiteri, SJ Fuerst, and Jade Zammit in the main galleries, and a diverse range of events, such as concerts, theatre, dance, workshops, talks and conferences in the other spaces of Palazzo de La Salle.
Since the completion of the Palazzo’s restoration in 2017, an exciting new space has also been added to the list of MSA’s creative premises: the Basement Vaults. In 2024, various pop-up exhibitions and initiatives are planned for this space. Stay connected through our website, social media, and What’s On emails to keep abreast of these exciting developments.
The Malta Society of Arts’ Music and Performing Arts Programme as well as Variations on Emergence Arts Residency Programme are both funded by Arts Council Malta. For more info visit www.artsmalta.org
‘Through The Eye Of The Needle’ exhibition by Stefan Spiteri. Photo by Mark Scicluna
1st event of Sustain-Delay, Music from Stones and Plants. Photo by Rakel Vella
March - June 2024
Exhibition / London / Tate Modern LONDON
YOKO ONO: MUSIC OF THE MIND
Tate Modern presents the UK’s largest exhibition celebrating the groundbreaking and influential work of artist and activist Yoko Ono (b.1933, Tokyo). Ono is a trailblazer of early conceptual and participatory art, film and performance, a celebrated musician, and a formidable campaigner for world peace. Spanning seven decades of the artist’s powerful, multidisciplinary practice from the 1950s to now, YOKO ONO: MUSIC OF THE MIND traces the development of her innovative work and its enduring impact on contemporary culture. Conceived in close collaboration with Ono’s studio, the exhibition brings together over 200 works including instruction pieces and scores, installations, films, music and photography, revealing a radical approach to language, art and participation that continues to speak to the present moment.
Ideas are central to Ono’s art, often expressed in poetic, humorous and profound ways. The exhibition starts by exploring her pivotal role in experimental avant-garde circles in New York and Tokyo, including the development of her ‘instruction pieces’ –written instructions that ask readers to imagine, experience, make or complete the work. Some exist as a single verb such as FLY or TOUCH. Others range from short phrases like ‘Listen to a heartbeat’ and ‘Step in all the puddles in the city’ to tasks for the imagination like ‘Painting to be Constructed in your Head’. Each word or phrase aims to
stimulate and unlock the mind of the reader. Previously unseen photographs show Ono’s first ‘instruction paintings’ at her loft studio in New York – where she and composer La Monte Young hosted experimental concerts and events –and in her first solo exhibition at AG Gallery in 1961. The typescript draft of Ono’s ground-breaking self-published anthology Grapefruit, compiling her instructions written between 1953 and 1964, is displayed in the UK for the first time. Visitors are invited to activate Ono’s instructions, concealing themselves in the interactive work Bag Piece 1964 – first performed by Ono in Kyoto, in the same concert in which she performed her iconic work Cut Piece 1964 – and bringing their shadows together in Shadow Piece 1963.
The heart of the exhibition charts Ono’s radical works created during her five-year stay in London from 1966. Here she became embedded within a countercultural network of artists, musicians and writers, meeting her future husband and longtime collaborator John Lennon. Key installations from Ono’s influential exhibitions at Indica and Lisson Gallery feature, including Apple 1966 and the poignant installation of halved domestic objects Half-A-Room 1967.
Ono’s banned Film No. 4 (Bottoms) 1966-7 which she created as a ‘petition for peace’ is displayed alongside material from her influential talk at the Destruction In Art Symposium, in which she described the fundamental aspects of her participatory art: event-based; engaged with the everyday; personal;
partial or presented as unfinished; a catalyst to creative transformation; and existing within the realm of the imagination. Visitors can participate in White Chess Set – a game featuring only white chess pieces and a board of white squares, with the instruction ‘play as long as you can remember where all your pieces are’ – a work first realised in 1966 that demonstrates Ono’s anti-war stance.
Key themes that recur throughout Ono’s work are explored across decades and mediums. These include the sky, which appears repeatedly as a metaphor for peace, freedom and limitlessness. As a child fleeing Tokyo during World War II, Ono found solace and refuge in the constant presence of the sky. It appears in the instruction piece Painting to See the Skies 1961, the 1966 installation SKY TV, broadcasting a live video feed of the sky above Tate Modern, and the moving participatory work Helmets (Pieces of Sky), first realised 2001, inviting visitors to take away their own puzzle-piece of the sky. The artist’s commitment to feminism is shown in films like FLY 1970-1, in which a fly crawls over a naked woman’s body while Ono’s voice chart its journey, and Freedom 1970, in which Ono attempts and fails to break free from her bra. In a section devoted to Ono’s music, feminist anthems such as Sisters O Sisters 1972, Woman Power 1973 and Rising 1995 embolden women to build a new world, have courage and rage, amplifying Ono’s works that denounce violence against women.
Ono has increasingly used her art and global media platform to advocate for peace and humanitarian campaigns,
initially collaborating with her late husband John Lennon. Acorns for Peace 1969 saw Ono and Lennon send acorns to world leaders, while the billboard campaign ‘WAR IS OVER!’ (if you want it) 1969 used the language of advertising to spread a message of peace. The film BED PEACE 1969 documents the second of the couple’s infamous ‘bed-in’ events staged in Amsterdam and Montreal, during which they spoke with the world’s media to promote world peace amid the Vietnam War. Tate Modern has also staged Ono’s recent project Add Colour (Refugee Boat), first activated in 2016, inviting visitors to add paint to white gallery walls and a white boat while reflecting on urgent issues of crisis and displacement.
The exhibition culminates in a new iteration of Ono’s participatory installation My Mommy Is Beautiful, first realised 2004, featuring a 15-metrelong wall of canvases to which visitors can attach photographs of their mother and share personal messages. Moving beyond the exhibition space, Ono’s work also extends across Tate Modern’s building and landscape. Gallery windows overlooking the River Thames feature the artist’s powerful intervention, PEACE is POWER, first shown 2017, translated into multiple languages, while the interactive artwork Wish Tree, first realised 1996, greets visitors at the entrance to the exhibition, inviting passers-by to contribute individual wishes for peace.
YOKO ONO: MUSIC OF THE MIND 15 February – 1 September 2024
Tate Modern, Bankside, London; Open daily 10.00–18.00
