Orfeo & Majnun Opera Performance: Malta Valletta2018 2019-03-08 | The Maltese premiere of the Orfeo & Majnun music-theatre performance, which toured the Maltese Islands as part of Valletta 2018, European Capital of Culture, took to the stage on the 19th of October 2018, followed by a second staging on the 20th of October 2018. The performance played to a packed house at one of Valletta’s most prestigious venues, the Mediterranean Conference Centre (MCC). On stage, the themes of love, loss and longing intertwined thanks to a multi-layered performance that combined music, opera, choirs, shadow puppetry and projections, bringing to light the parallels between the timeless love stories of Orfeo and Eurydice and Layla and Majnun.
Orfeo & Majnun: To Speak of You and Me Valletta2018 2019-03-07 | Raconteur Kostas Papamatthaiakis worked with the residents of the Fleur de Lys & Swatar Day Centre to produce a short film accompanied by a poem in the themes of Love, Loss and Longing.Check it out!TO SPEAK OF YOU AND METhis is how I speak of you and meBecause I love you an din love I knowto enter like a Full MoonFrom elsewhere, for your small foot in the vast sheetsTo pluck jasmine petalsand I have the poweras you are asleep, to blow to take youthrough glimmering passagesand hidden archways of the seaHypnotized trees with spiders that shine silverFate will turn elsewhere the engravingsOf the palm, like a key ownerOne moment Time will give its assentHow else, since people love each otherThe sky will portray our entrailsAnd innocence will hit the worldWith the poignancy of black deathI will mourn forever, can you hear me? For you,All alone in Paradise.
Orfeo & Majnun: L-imħabba, it-telfa u x-xenqa Valletta2018 2019-03-07 | Marthese Parascandalo, together with the Zammit Clapp residential home’s drama group, worked on the emotions of love, loss and longing and wove them into the story of a family – a family like all others. The story starts off with the grandparents – Victoria and Giovanni – and continues with their children and their children’s children, even traveling to other countries.Have a look at what they have to say!
Valletta 2018 - Grazzi // Thank you! Valletta2018 2019-01-09 | Thank you to everyone who supported, helped or was part of the Valletta 2018 team. The Valletta 2018 Foundation carried out a successful cultural programme, which saw more than 400 events happening across Malta and Gozo in 2018, an attendance of over 400,000 people and a boost to the cultural, social and economic infrastructure throughout Valletta.
MPO Valletta 2018 Intl Tour at the Music Center at Strathmore Valletta2018 2018-12-02 | For the second concert in the United States, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra played The Music Center at Strathmore, North Bethesda.Here's another video as we accompany the MPO on their MPO 2018 International Tour.
MPO Valletta 2018 Intl Tour at Kimmel Centre, Philadelphia Valletta2018 2018-12-02 | For their first concert during the MPO 2018 International Tour, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra played the Verizon Hall at The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia.Have a look at what they've been up to in the video below and watch out for more videos!
Ħabbilni Ħa Nirbaħ - Trailer Valletta2018 2018-11-19 | Starring Shelby Aquilina, Sarah Micallef Muscat, Michela Galea and Jasmine Farrugia, the film is written in Maltese and tells the story of four teenage school girls hailing from four different social backgrounds, who make a bet to see which girl will get pregnant first by local famous actor Nate Cross (played by Jean Zammit). Their actions set off a trajectory which sees their lives and the lives of their family changed forever in this story filled with deceit, extortion, betrayal and pain. The film is directed by Mario Azzopardi and written by Simon Bartolo and Mario Azzopardi.The film will be screened at the Embassy Cinemas in Valletta between the 21st November and the 18th December 2018.
Go! Europe, featuring Valletta 2018 Valletta2018 2018-11-19 | Euronews programme Go! Europe, featuring Valletta 2018, takes you on a beautiful journey to revisit the gems in Valletta. The documentary includes several stunning shots of Valletta, and features a number of art galleries, boutique hotels, restaurants and other places of entertainment which have changed Valletta’s landscape throughout the past few years, thanks to Valletta 2018’s drive towards the cultural, economic and social regeneration of the city. These initiatives are all part of the European Capital of Culture’s legacy. They have given new life to the city, and have made Valletta a top cultural destination for both locals and tourists alike.
Whats on November Valletta2018 2018-11-09 | Find out more about what's happening during November and be part of our upcoming events on www.valletta2018.org or download our Valletta 2018 app for Android and iPhone.
Love, Loss and Longing - Orfeo and Majnun Animation Shorts Valletta2018 2018-10-26 | The Orfeo & Majnun project also took us to Sacred Heart School for stop-motion workshops for children. The workshops are being led by one of our raconteurs, Christabel Vella.The stop-motion films being created will be screened at the Orfeo & Majnun - Sfilata fil-Kapitali in Valletta on the 27th October 2018.Students worked on the characters, scenes and frames in order to create the videos.
Love, Loss and Longing animation shorts - Orfeo and Majnun Valletta2018 2018-10-26 | Orfeo & MajnunPublished by Maria Mizzi · 17 October at 21:00 · The Orfeo & Majnun project also took us to Sacred Heart School for stop-motion workshops for children. The workshops are being led by one of our raconteurs, Christabel Vella.The stop-motion films being created will be screened at the Orfeo & Majnun - Sfilata fil-Kapitali in Valletta on the 27th October 2018.Students worked on the characters, scenes and frames in order to create the videos.
Sfilata FIl-Kapitali - Orfeo & Majnun Valletta2018 2018-10-24 | ‘Sfilata fil-Kapitali’ (Parade in the Capital) is the platform for citizen-created presentations related to the Orfeo & Majnun project. Orfeo & Majnun: A Tale of Love, Loss & Longing consists of a theatre of emotions, where ancient myths from different cultures meet, Orfeo & Majnun brings two love stories together – that of Orpheus and Eurydice, the ultimate Greek tragic love story, and Layla and Majnun, the classic Persian tale that has come to be known as the Romeo and Juliet of the East.The project engages with these central myths to explore the eternal themes of love, loss and longing, which will be retold in various forms by participants from all walks of life through the Orfeo & Majnun Music-Theatre Performance and through Sfilata Fil-Kapitali.Taking place in Valletta on the 27th of October, the parade will see the participation of hundreds of citizens from various communities: band club members, musicians, storytellers, dancers, choirs and more. This fantastic parade sees a whole menagerie of animal puppets animated by participants taking a marvellous stroll through the streets of Valletta. Participants will go from street to street and from corner to corner, meeting surprises in the form of song, dance, short performances, storytelling, music-making, bands and many other forms of artistic expression.More information on valletta2018.org
Bodies in Urban Spaces Valletta2018 2018-10-10 | A city has many stories to tell and each one has many sides: what’s it like to walk through our cities during the day or in the dead of night?; Do the roads to work, home and play make travel a breeze or a chore?Bodies in Urban Spaces, a Willi Dorner project, is all about making young people aware of the way we interact with public space.Through a series of urban interventions, this project transforms city spaces with a series of obstacles mounted at various times of day. Irritation and amusement provoke a physical and emotional reaction, prompting participants to reflect on the rules, restrictions and possibilities of the city. The interventions themselves are temporary, but the imprint left on memory persists, establishing a stronger relationship between citizens and their neighbourhoods.
Orfeo and Majnun - Promo Valletta2018 2018-10-10 | Drawing on the timeless themes of forsaken love, loss and longing, Orfeo & Majnun connects the Middle Eastern legend of Layla and Majnun together with the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Written from the perspective of Layla and Eurydice, this theatre of emotions unites professional performers and musicians together with diverse non-professionals participating in the chorus, in animated shadow puppetry, as animal puppet animators, and more.The performance brings audiences an exciting new retelling expressed through multiple textures; the narration interweaves Maltese, English and Arabic, while the score combines oriental and occidental styles – Dick van der Harst, Moneim Adwan, and Howard Moody.The performance is set inside the majestic Mediterranean Conference Centre, a 16th century building which once served as a hospital to the Order of St John, and is one of the most remarkable landmarks in Valletta. It will be taking place on the 19th and 20th October 2018. Book today on valletta2018.org
Nisġa - Doris Fenech Valletta2018 2018-10-04 | This exhibition seeks to feature dialogues between artists of different generations informed by the original selection of six modern artists proposed in 1991. The selection of works shall be put together in meaningful dialogues, each standing for a given narrative or facet. These works shall be in dialogue with interventions by contemporary artists in digital format to create an exhibition akin to an installation where all the elements converse and interact within one weave. By bridging the persona of the Maltese artist, oftentimes caught between memory and history, the project shall explore what is constant and what instead stands out as a difference within the memory landscape.The dialectic between past and present, paradoxically juxtaposed across media, shall strive to achieve a constellation inspired by Warburg’s Mnemosyne Atlas where polarities are exposed and inferences underpinned across time. When read together as one experience, the constellation of displays and objects shall strive to propose new readings of art histories connecting present and past.
Il-Festa l-Kbira Valletta2018 2018-10-03 | Venture into the capital for this one-off event in which the main four feasts and the two band clubs come together to fill the streets with music and cheer. Set around the celebrative Catholic rituals, you may enjoy the traditional processions featuring the four titular statues of Valletta, the decorations, brass band music and cheer synonymous with the Maltese people. All elements that create the typical Maltese feast.Il-Festa l-Kbira includes the participation of the Parish Church of Porto Salvo and Saint Dominic, the Parish Church of St Paul’s Shipwreck, the Parish Church of St Augustine, the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Società Filarmonica Nazionale La Valette and the Società Filarmonica King’s Own.On the 6th of April, a march and joint concert by the King’s Own Band Club and the La Valette Band Club will be taking place in St George’s Square. On the 7th of April, various activities will be taking place around Valletta and Senglea, including a Regatta.
Whats On October Valletta2018 2018-09-28 | Find out more about what's happening during the first part of October and be part of our upcoming events on www.valletta2018.org or download our Valletta 2018 app for Android and i-Phone.
Constellation Malta Valletta2018 2018-09-27 | Valletta 2018 presents Constellation Malta – a multi-site exhibition featuring an array of international artists curated by Rosa Martinez including award winning Chiharu Shiota with an original site specific piece at St Elmo Valletta and Kyung Jin Cho with an immersive sound installation at Magdalen Church in Valletta. Open from October to December 2018. More on valletta2018.org
Aħna Refuġjati Valletta2018 2018-08-31 | Aħna Refuġjati is Sammut’s first operatic venture after working on multiple international and local media projects. The opera will include musical direction by Richard Merrill Brown and a libretto by Mario Philip Azzopardi.In recounting the struggles of a family attempting to escape their war-torn country, the opera addresses timely concerns in the Euro-Mediterranean region, the human cost of large-scale migration and the universal theme of loss as a result of political convenience, racism and prejudice.Aħna Refuġjati will include Maltese operatic soprano Miriam Gauci, tenor Nico Darmanin, counter tenor José Hernandez Pastor, mezzo soprano Clare Ghigo and mezzo soprano Federica Falzon as part of the cast, amongst others.The opera will be held on the 31st August and 2nd September 2018 at The Granaries in Floriana. Buy your tickets below and be in the chance to win an iPhoneX. Draw closes on the 2nd September 2018 and the winner will be announced following the performance on the 3rd September. Good luck!
Il-Lejl fDan l-Istazzjon - Abigail Mallia and Carlos Debattista Valletta2018 2018-08-23 | This year’s edition of Poetry on Film sees Abigail Mallia and Carlos Debattista working on a poetry film which presents Oliver Friggieri’s work “Il-Lejl f’Dan l-Istazzjon”.Poetry on Film 2018 is a Valletta 2018 project in collaboration with Inizjamed which aims to develop the poetry film sector in Malta through training, the commissioning of short poetry films to be screened at the annual Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival 2018, and the export of the commissioned films.The project is central to the Valletta 2018 Foundation and Inizjamed strategy to make poetry more accessible and alive through collaboration and co-creation across different artistic disciplines and media.
Mewġa Mużika Valletta2018 2018-08-20 | Food, fun and music for the whole family!Join Valletta 2018 and the Mewġa Mużika orchestra at Mdina Ditch Gardens for a fun-packed family outing on the 9 of September!Enjoy a whole day of family-friendly activities from 10am onwards with a fun musical performance at 8pm, where over 300 musicians take to the stage.Entrance to this colourful event is FREE!
Kafe - Clare Azzopardi and Ken Scicluna Valletta2018 2018-08-13 | This year’s edition of Poetry on Film sees Clare Azzopardi and Ken Scicluna working on a poetry film which presents Achille Mizzi’s work “Kafè”.Poetry on Film is a Valletta 2018 project in collaboration with Inizjamed which aims to develop the poetry film sector in Malta through training, the commissioning of short poetry films to be screened at the annual Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival, and the export of the commissioned films. The project is central to the Valletta 2018 Foundation and Inizjamed strategy to make poetry more accessible and alive through collaboration and co-creation across different artistic disciplines and media. To stimulate wider interest and activity in the sector and with a view to supporting the high-quality production of poetry films in Malta, the Valletta 2018 Foundation and Inizjamed will commission two more poetry films via a selective process.
Aħna Refuġjati Valletta2018 2018-08-07 | Aħna Refuġjati huwa l-ewwel xogħol ta’ opra għal Sammut wara li ħadem fuq għadd ta’ proġetti tal-midja internazzjonali u lokali. L-opra se tinkludi d-direzzjoni mużikali ta’ Richard Merrill Brown u libretto ta’ Mario Philip Azzopardi.Fir-rakkont tal-isfidi ta’ familja li qed tipprova taħrab mill-pajjiż mifni mill-gwerra tagħha l-opra tindirizza tħassib f’waqtu fir-reġjun Ewro-Mediterranju, il-prezz uman tal-migrazzjoni fuq skala kbira u t-tema universali tat-telf bħala riżultat ta’ konvenjenza politika, razziżmu u preġudizzju.L-opra se ssir fil-31 ta’ Awwissu u fit-2 ta’ Settembru 2018 fuq il-Fosos tal-Furjana.
Aħna Refuġjati Valletta2018 2018-08-07 | Aħna Refuġjati is Sammut’s first operatic venture after working on multiple international and local media projects. The opera will include musical direction by Richard Merrill Brown and a libretto by Mario Philip Azzopardi.In recounting the struggles of a family attempting to escape their war-torn country, the opera addresses timely concerns in the Euro-Mediterranean region, the human cost of large-scale migration and the universal theme of loss as a result of political convenience, racism and prejudice.Aħna Refuġjati will include Maltese operatic soprano Miriam Gauci, tenor Nico Darmanin, counter tenor José Hernandez Pastor, mezzo soprano Claire Ghigo and mezzo soprano Federica Falzon as part of the cast, amongst others.The opera will be held on the 31st August and 2nd September 2018 at The Granaries in Floriana.
Malta Calls - The Party of the Summer! Valletta2018 2018-07-10 | This kaleidoscopic outdoor dance performance envelops the crowd in a 360-degree sensory experience. Drama, dance and film join forces in this pumping event, where projections representing ‘Present’ and ‘Future’ twist and turn, play and replay, as their movements capture aspirations, hopes and dreams in a moment of eternal anticipation.The line-up is a tour-de-force, with a thirty-minute set by Per QX, who continues to be at the cutting edge of an ever-evolving global underground house music scene, choreography by the internationally acclaimed dance artist Mavin Khoo and a performance by professional dancers from the ŻfinMalta Dance Ensemble. London-based artist digital visual artist Prickimage produces the immersive visual spectacle on a forty-metre stage and screen space, with ground-breaking 3D, real-time, generative and live interactive digital projections to make this audiovisual experience.The party will feature DJ sets by local talents DJ Ruby and Miss Roberta, amongst others. Expect 6 hours of partying, a massive 40 metre stage, a 45-minute exclusive dance show from ŻfinMalta, various foreign artists from 8 different countries and the participation of around 150 local artists. Malta Calls will be held on the grounds of St Clare’s College Secondary (ex Sir Adrian Dingli), Pembroke on Friday 20th July from 8pm onwards. Entrance is free!
Whats On 9 - July Valletta2018 2018-06-25 | Find out more about what's happening during the first part of July and be part of our upcoming events!
Whats On 7 - Beginning of June Valletta2018 2018-06-05 | Find out more about what's happening during the first part of June and be part of our events!
St Elmo Examination Centre // Dal-Baħar Madwarha Valletta2018 2018-05-18 | The exhibition in the St. Elmo Exam Center, which forms part of the Dal-Bahar Madwarha multi-site exhibition, will close soon. Don't miss the chance to see the wonderful artworks of Maltese and international artists at the former Examination Center, a place full of memories for many Maltese.Poetic, haunting, fictive, suggestive, humorous, inviting!14 artworks invite us to think about the sea as a place of memory and politics, romanticism, of global trade of goods as well as of people; and as a symbol of voyage and displacement.
Whats On May - Valletta 2018 Valletta2018 2018-05-15 | Find out more about what's happening during the second part of May and be part of our upcoming events!
St Elmo - Group Exhibition - Dal-Baħar Madwarha Valletta2018 2018-05-09 | Valletta 2018’s major multi-site exhibition, “Dal-Baħar Madwarha”, opens its doors to curious visitors across the Islands starting from the 10th of March. Curated by Maren Richter, large installations, performances and public interventions are taking place in both traditional and unexpected locations across Malta, exploring the idea of “islandness” in playful and critical ways.The Examination Centre is a place of memory for most of the Maltese. This exhibition, made up of commissioned and existing works by Maltese and international artists deals with the sea as a place of memory, romanticism, global trade of goods as well as mobility, voyage and displacement. This exhibition is open from the 25th March to the 27th of May 2018.The Examination Centre is open from Tuesdays – Sundays from 11am to 7pm (Last admittance 6.30PM). Closed on Mondays.
Valletta 2018 App Valletta2018 2018-05-02 | Download the Official Valletta 2018 App for free today. Follow your favourite upcoming events and buy your tickets.With over 400 events happening, there is something for everyone!Download today from Play Store or App Store.
Latitude 36 - Walking Holding Call Out for Participants Valletta2018 2018-04-30 | What does your city look like from someone else's perspective? How intimate can you be with someone you’ve just met?Walking:Holding is a project by artist Rosana Cade that invites you to walk hand in hand with a series of different local strangers round nearby streets, parks and alleyways. It is a participatory performance for one audience member at a time, offering a gentle exploration of identity, touch and intimacy in urban public space.The project is coming to Valletta as part of Latitude 36 this July and we are looking for a diverse range of local people to take part as participants.
Whats On - May Valletta2018 2018-04-30 | Find out more about what's happening during the first part of May and be part of our events!
Malta International Arts Festival 2018 Valletta2018 2018-04-18 | This special edition of Malta’s leading arts festival, to be held between the 29th of June and the 14th of July 2018, unveils an intriguing programme of high-quality cultural exhibitions and events that engage visitors with the Islands’ rich historical and cultural tapestry.Over the years, the Malta International Arts Festival has established itself as a platform for artistic excellence; the festival is renowned for hosting multidisciplinary works that support diversity, encourage artistic collaboration and strive to forge creative synergy. Across the festival’s varied programme, artists are encouraged to push boundaries through a wide spectrum of innovative practices and performances – including site-specific curation, music, visual arts, theatre, dance, opera, installations, films, community projects, interactive and participatory events and much more
Malta Jazz Festival 2018 Valletta2018 2018-04-18 | The Malta Jazz Festival is a three day event featuring international performers and virtuosos in a unique setting. On-stage collaborations, instrumental masterclasses and workshops are some of the attractions to expect.For three days, visitors will be treated to the sounds of exceptional world-renowned musicians, and will include free events for all in the city centre.This year’s edition is striving to make jazz as accessible as possible. Besides boasting a star-studded line-up featuring the best in contemporary jazz, the Malta Jazz Festival is branching out to Valletta’s streets and injecting creative energy in Malta’s growing jazz scene, in preparation for Valletta 2018.The festival includes some of the most renowned jazz artists, both from the international scene and locally. It supports the local scene and encourages collaborations between Maltese and international artists.The Malta Jazz Festival is organized by Festivals Malta within Arts Council Malta, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, Culture and Local Government and Valletta 2018 Foundation.
Malta World Music Festival 2018 Artists Valletta2018 2018-04-17 | The second edition of the Malta World Music Festival will be making a jubilant return on the 18th and 19th of May at Fort St. Elmo in Valletta. Over the two nights, six international acts hailing from all over the globe will be showcasing the diversity, breadth and vivacity that the modern world music scene has to offer. From contemporary interpretations of archaic musical forms to purer expressions of folk traditions, the line-up has something to offer music enthusiasts of all kinds.
Whats On Video - April Valletta2018 2018-04-05 | Find out more about what's happening during the first part of April and be part of our events!
The Strange Travels of Señor Tonet Valletta2018 2018-03-23 | During Spring 2018, a curiosity fair full of fun, interactive mechanical installations designed by Barcelona-based artists Tombs Creatius lands in Malta. At the fair we meet Señor Tonet, a peculiar character who introduces us to the many creatures encountered on his strange and wondrous journeys by means of individual installations set inside a box, each one reflecting a different story.During their stay, Tombs Creatius is also teaming up with Esplora and technical students to create a new mechanical installation tailored specifically for Valletta 2018. The two-week festival starts at the inspiring Esplora Interactive Science Centre (28 March – 1 April 2018) and moves into Valletta during its second week (4 April – 8 April 2018); throughout, interactive games provide a highly creative storytelling experience that is sure to appeal to the young and the young at heart.
u19 Malta Promo Valletta2018 2018-03-23 | The year 2018 will see Valletta 2018 collaborate with the prestigious Prix Ars Electronica and the Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria, and with Esplora Interactive Science Centre, to create its own ‘Under 19’ competition for young people in Malta and Gozo for the first time.‘Create Your World’ is the yearly theme and motto of this creative competition that’s open to youths aged 19 and under, and whose work may take any shape: from digital art to mechanics, technology, music, a social project or even an innovative futuristic idea about the world we live in. Information sessions invite youths to learn more about the unique categories and prizes of the competition’s local edition, with a call for submissions open until April 2018.Local winners will be guests of honour at a special prize-giving ceremony here in Malta and then fly to Linz for the Ars Electronica Festival 2018 in September (https://www.aec.at/festival/en/). Their work will then be hosted in a special exhibition at the Esplora Interactive Science Centre in November 2018.Participants will submit their project via an online database, in which they will be required to be as detailed as possible in describing their project – the more detailed the description is, the better the chances will be. Project submissions must be in English as they will be evaluated by an international jury. Submissions can be done in groups of up to 8 people, however only two representatives from the group will fly to Linz for the Ars Electronica Festival should the project be a winner (Terms and conditions apply). The prizes to be offered for this creative competition are as follows:The Valletta 2018 Grand Prize – €2000Distinction (2 prizes) – €600 eachMerit (5 prizes) – €100 eachEsplora u10 prize – €300 and a special educational gameEsplora u14 prize – €300
Orfeo and Majnun - Vero Schurr Interview f Valletta2018 2018-03-23 | Drawing on the timeless themes of forsaken love, loss and longing, this interdisciplinary project in two parts connects the Middle Eastern legend of Layla and Majnun and the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Orfeo & Majnun is an exciting new retelling expressed through multiple textures; the narration interweaves Maltese, English and Arabic, while the score combines oriental and occidental styles – Dick van der Harst, Moneim Adwan, and Howard Moody.This poetic music theatre also encourages local citizens to take part in creative workshops; under the artistic direction of Martina Winkel and Airan Berg, the first part of the performance celebrates co-creation with associative stories and a cast of animal puppets conceived during workshops. The second part continues to unfold a unique and uniting spectacle, a theatre of emotions.Orfeo & Majnun is co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.
Whats On Video March - Valletta 2018 Valletta2018 2018-03-14 | Have a look to see what's going on in the second part of March!
Dal-Baħar Madwarha - Valletta 2018 Contemporary Art Exhibition Valletta2018 2018-03-14 | Between spring and summer 2018, curator Maren Richter brings Valletta 2018’s major visual arts exhibition to our European Capital of Culture, with large installations, performances and public interventions taking place in both traditional and unexpected locales across the country. Among the exhibition’s star sites is the Pixkerija at Barriera Wharf, a Grade 2 scheduled building that was built in the 1930’s.Richter is working with more than twenty-five established and emerging artists from fifteen countries –including Malta, France, Austria, Egypt, Germany, Syria, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Ghana, Spain, and Palestine – who are collaborating with local partners around the Islands.The title Dal-Baħar Madwarha is inspired by a quote from the work of philosopher Gilles Deleuze, ‘The island is what the sea surrounds’. This sets the tone for newly commissioned and existing pieces that explore the idea of “islandness” in playful and critical ways. It’s an artistic journey through the contemporary realities of the Maltese Islands, placing at their helm the Islands’ relationship with their closest neighbour – the Mediterranean Sea.The exhibition re-traces borders, imagining new geographies that view the sea as fluid and transformable rather than another physical barrier between people, places and culture.In Richter’s words: “The multi-site programme invites international and Maltese artists to recast and respond to current and past urgencies and challenges, in which the Mediterranean Sea plays a significant role […] The island is a mode of pausing, familiarised by a certain romanticism. Whereas the sea looms large in the language of our imaginations; it is a site of reflection, voyage, and volatile freedom.”In the light of such thought-provoking inquiries, the exhibition explores the identity of our Islands within a wider global context, bringing creative, social and political visions of the Mediterranean to light through the region’s most iconic and enduring image: the deep blue sea.
Manaf Halbouni - Uprooted - Dal-Baħar Madwarha Valletta2018 2018-03-07 | Valletta 2018’s major multi-site exhibition, “Dal-Baħar Madwarha”, opens its doors to curious visitors across the Islands starting from the 10th of March. Curated by Maren Richter, large installations, performances and public interventions are taking place in both traditional and unexpected locations across Malta, exploring the idea of “islandness” in playful and critical ways.Manaf Halbouni’s project deals with Malta’s relationship with cars, real estate developments and displacement. Daily commuting, traffic jams or the habit to just sit by the sea in the car – the vehicle is relevant in Malta. At the same time rental costs rise dramatically. Halbouni provides places to remain, made of ‘veteran’ cars, which are placed in scenic places around Malta, namely Triq il-Lanċa (Marsamxett Harbour) and the area in front of the St Elmo Examination Centre in Valletta, Pretty Bay in Birżebbuġa and Ħondoq ir-Rummien in Qala (Gozo).Manaf Halbouni was born in Damascus, Syria. He now lives and works in Dresden, Germany. He gained fame with an art work titled “Monument” in Dresden, eastern Germany, where the installation made of three upturned buses (situated in the city centre) taken from the besieged town of Aleppo drew fierce criticism from far-right groups.
