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This Week
maltatoday, Sunday, 2 August 2015
Maltese artist exhibits in the Netherlands Adrian Abela exhibits ‘The Caster’ as part of the Culture of Ageing project Maltese artist Adrian Abela presented his work ‘The Caster’ (2015) during the art route Open Stal in the Frisian village of Oldeberkoop in the Netherlands, as part of the project The Culture of Ageing, curated by Dutch curators Lennard Dost and Mare van Koningsveld. Open Stal is the oldest art route that takes place in The Netherlands, being initiated in 1971. It
Adrian Abela
takes place yearly during the summer months in the small Frisian village of Oldeberkoop. The works are presented at unusual locations: in houses, shops and the school, but also in barns, garages and in open-air sites. In Oldeberkoop, ‘The Caster’ is being shown as a multi channel video installation in a shed, one of the locations of the arts festival. The artist chose a scientific approach of ‘ageing’ – the main topic of The Culture of Ageing project, by choosing to draw a parallel between the process of sculpting and the process of ageing on cellular level. Just like a cell loses its characteristics as it gets older, so does the sculpted (clay) cast deform over time. During April and May, Abela spent two weeks in Groningen, The Netherlands, to do research for his new multimedia art work. Abela conducted research at The European Research Institute for the Biology of Ageing (ERIBA), where researchers attempt to locate the causes of ageing on cellular level, while also trying to prevent ageing. The artist spent several days at the research institute and spoke with members of the international
Stills from Adrian Abela’s The Caster research team. After his time in Groningen, Abela organised a sculpting workshop with participants of various ages. These two researches resulted in two videos that are part of ‘The Caster’. The work can be seen in Oldeberkoop until August 9. The Maltese public will be able to see an extensive version of Abela’s work as part of The Culture of Ageing exhibition, taking place at St James Cavalier, Valletta from August 31 to September 27. The exhibition, produced by Valletta 2018 and Leeuwarden 2018, is part of this year’s edition of the Valletta International Visual Arts Festival (VIVA).
Applications now open for Maltese performers, artists wishing to tour in 2017 Maltese artists, performers, film makers and writers working towards showcasing their talents abroad can now apply to feature in Malta Showcase Portfolio 2016, a curated catalogue of Maltese repertoire available to tour internationally during Malta’s EU Presidency year in 2017. The catalogue will be distributed to a network of artistic directors and festival programmers interested in commissioning Maltese talent. Malta Showcase is part of the
Valletta 2018 Cultural Programme and reflects the Foundation’s commitment to the development and professionalisation of local artists. The Valletta 2018 Foundation, in collaboration with Arts Council Malta and the Parliamentary Secretariat for the EU Presidency 2017 and EU Funds, is committed to creating opportunities for local artists seeking to branch out and showcase their work to an international audience. Valletta 2018 Foundation
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Chairman Jason Micallef said, “Malta Showcase is a clear example of the efforts taking place to showcase high quality Maltese talent and making this accessible to audiences worldwide. Together with Arts Council Malta and other public cultural organisations, the Valletta 2018 Foundation is actively working to support creativity and enhance the potential of Maltese artists across all disciplines, in the run up to 2018, and beyond.” Toni Attard, Director Strategy at Arts Council Malta said, “Internationalisation is a clear
priority for Arts Council Malta, which aims to be sensitive to the needs of the cultural and creative sectors. Access to international markets allows the arts to become more professional and sustainable in the long-term. Malta Showcase is in fact one of several initiatives supported by the Council, which aims to help artists export their work. The previous issue of Malta Showcase included repertoire from the dance, theatre and music disciplines of the performing arts. Since Malta Showcase Portfolio 2016 is being prepared in rela-
tion to Malta’s Presidency of the Council of Europe in 2017, applicants are now eligible to submit repertoire from three additional art disciplines: literature, visual arts and film, besides the performing arts. Prospective applicants must bear in mind that repertoire must be available for export during the year 2017. Application forms can be downloaded from www.maltashowcase. com/how-to-apply/ and must be submitted to maltashowcase@ valletta2018.org by not later than September 31 at noon