In the last days of the exhibition I would like to leave a short reflection as a curator on collaboration and on the influence of a room on the final result. When Stefan and I started to develop the idea we had that particular space in mind as well as a selection of the current showcased works of art and hoped they would work together and create an interesting atmosphere together. The storyline we had in our head was vague, but pointing in a certain direction: a showcase of high level Maltese art in a Flemish ‘palazzo’-like setting in a year where Valletta would be one of the Cultural Capitals of Europe. We were able to convince the director of the space as well as the artists of our idea. What followed was a co-creation process between artists and curators. The title of the exhibition, the final storyline and the adaptation of the works to that context all happend in collaboration.
Very exciting and mesmerising was the moment when it all came together in the beautiful baroque room of Hof De Bist. All works of art and the room seemed to give each other extra strength and lifted each other up. The total design fell into place and created something new. We wanted to create an experience, and I believe we succeeded but this was only possible thanks to the nice way we all worked together artists, curators and the team of the cultural centre in Ekeren.
The Island Indoors is a collaboration with 252 CC Cultuurcentrum Ekeren, supported by Arts Council Malta through the Cultural Export Fund and the Local Art Fund Ekeren/Antwerp, endorsed by Valletta 2018 Cultural Capital of Europe.
Participating artists and works: Aaron Bezzina – Position of Opposition, Matthew Attard – Maijalata, Caesar Attard – In Memory of our Luminaries, Marc Thiron &Stefan Kolgen – Red Diffused and Ryan Falzon – a selection of Quick Fix – A Morality Tale.
Exhibition still on till 30/11 – 14:00 – 17:00 – 252 cc – Hof De Bist – Veltwijcklaan 252 – Ekeren
This week the book The Leader Reader – Narratives of Experience arrived in Malta. It brings together more then 100 essays/reflections of educators around the world. What reads through all narratives if each writer’s passion for teaching. We were asked for a very personal view on our Leadership moment in lecturing/teaching … From that came my reflection on my experience as a lecturer in arts education. The challenges, but also the strengths the arts have in relation to other disciplines in education and in society.
So happy that this can develop further over the next years
Here the project enters a new stage which Valletta 2018 is proud to support over the next years, helping Pamela Baldacchino in close collaboration with the oncology centre, to set up a series of artist workshops that aim to create site specifc artwork together with a series of sensory workshops for cancer survivors. There is also the possibility of an artist in residence programme being integrated. The main goals would be to create artwork based on DSP research outcomes and interaction with those involved, namely, Dr. Benna Chase, the Oncology staff and other contributing artists.
It has been a pleasure to have been part of the last stages of this exciting process and to be on the panel about artistic excellence on which I talked about measuring the unmeasurable and about the peer assessment exercise with the students of Digital Arts.
