Wicc imb Wicc

From M3P
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Wiċċ imb Wiċċ – images of the self

The artists were chosen to fit the exhibition's narrative, to create tension within dialogue and to help widen the perspective of the subject, where emerging artists are given equal space. Fresh from the European championship, I like to think of a show as a football team. You cannot win with 11 goal scorers. Every player is equally important. I firmly believe that Maltese artists need to confront their work with that of their international colleagues.[1]

Austin Camilleri
Curator

I came across him and artist John Paul Azzopardi as they painted the main door in a bright, and i would say, shocking, magenta. For those whose eyes didn’t see, this was the ‘brand’ colour for ‘Wiċċ imb Wiċċ‘ – a collective held for the Malta Arts Festival, where artists questioned their own reality… or the lack of it.

Something that stood out in this installation was the fresh use of space within the upper galleries of St James Cavalier. The audience was channeled through a path and into ‘new’ spaces which hosted the various works. John Paul Azzopardi (Malta), Zarko Baseski (Macedonia), Vince Briffa (Malta), Joseph Calleja (Malta/UK), Dominique de Beir (France), Jessica Harrison (Scotland), Davor Ljubicic (Germany/Croatia), Åsa Riton (Sweden), Raphael Vella (Malta), Elisa von Brockdorff (Malta) and guest artists Tracey Emin and Giuseppe Hyzler provided a curious mix of thoughts, themes, languages and interpretations of the same theme.

John Paul Azzopardi, synonymous with his found-object sculptures ushered the visitors into the first hall and into his memory lane – a walk which he considers as a self identifier.

Raphael Vella’s backlit portrait came as a teaser through a play of light into the discovery of the young Raphael and his spiritual looking back at time that passed. A very sinister approach especially compared to the neighboring self-portraits by various year-two pupils from the Laura Vicuna school. Their colorful and vivid expressionism is a fresh reminder about childhood hopes and dreams for a better future.

Elisa Von Brockdorff‘s photographic pictures, titled ‘evb’, re-establish her ever-growing reputation as the most colorful contemporary, amongst local artists. Whilst the subjects of these photographs speak a very common language, their deeper roots expose the intimate identity of the artist. Once again, Elisa comes out as a love-me-or-hate-me observer behind the lens.

I am my Photograph is a documentation by Vince Briffa in which a series of daily photographic portraits taken in 2004/5, create a time-lapse which assist the artist in relocating his self in that which he described as a “a narcissistic sculpture of immortality through artifice.” The column-like structure made of monitors, imposed itself peacefully but predominantly – like a Gulliver, over the tiny observer.

After talking to a few people who visited Wiċċ imb Wiċċ – images of the self, I can easily say that Zarko Baseski’s hyper-real sculpture definitely stood out and impressed. The scaled-down self-sculpture, nitpicked on the visitors attention who questioned the reality of the subject and expected some sudden movements by the subject… the perfect reflection of what the artist had been through.

Joseph Calleja’s large ‘portrait’ made of his friends’ Facebook profile pictures was one of the most freshest and contemporary takes in the exhibition, yet the fact that it was a ‘resolved’, locked puzzle, killed the interactive power of the piece.

Last but not least, I would also like to spend a word for Davor Ljubicic‘s performance art video which stood as a very strong cherry on a most exquisite cake. Reiterating on real facts like the death of children in Africa, he involved the viewer by sharing his questions whilst contextualising them within the space of the gallery. [2]

Exhibition

Exhibition Photos

{{#if:Wicc imb Wicc1.jpgWicc imb Wicc2.jpgWicc imb Wicc3.jpg|

{{#if:|

{{{header}}}

}}{{#if:Wicc imb Wicc1.jpg|

{{#if:|

{{{caption1}}}

}}

}}{{#if:Wicc imb Wicc2.jpg|

{{#if:|
{{{caption2}}}

}}

}}{{#if:Wicc imb Wicc3.jpg|

{{#if:|
{{{caption3}}}

}}

}}{{#if:|

[[file:{{{image4}}}|{{#if:305 | 305 | 200 }}px{{#ifeq::|:|||link={{{link4}}}}}|alt=]]
{{#if:|
{{{caption4}}}

}}

}}{{#if:|

[[file:{{{image5}}}|{{#if:305 | 305 | 200 }}px{{#ifeq::|:|||link={{{link5}}}}}|alt=]]
{{#if:|
{{{caption5}}}

}}

}}{{#if:|

[[file:{{{image6}}}|{{#if:305 | 305 | 200 }}px{{#ifeq::|:|||link={{{link6}}}}}|alt=]]
{{#if:|
{{{caption6}}}

}}

}}{{#if:|

[[file:{{{image7}}}|{{#if:305 | 305 | 200 }}px{{#ifeq::|:|||link={{{link7}}}}}|alt=]]
{{#if:|
{{{caption7}}}

}}

}}{{#if:|

[[file:{{{image8}}}|{{#if:305 | 305 | 200 }}px{{#ifeq::|:|||link={{{link8}}}}}|alt=]]
{{#if:|
{{{caption8}}}

}}

}}{{#if:|

[[file:{{{image9}}}|{{#if:305 | 305 | 200 }}px{{#ifeq::|:|||link={{{link9}}}}}|alt=]]
{{#if:|
{{{caption9}}}

}}

}}{{#if:|

[[file:{{{image10}}}|{{#if:305 | 305 | 200 }}px{{#ifeq::|:|||link={{{link10}}}}}|alt=]]
{{#if:|
{{{caption10}}}

}}

}}{{#if:|

}}

}}

{{#if:Wicc imb Wicc4.jpgWicc imb Wicc5.jpgWicc imb Wicc6.jpg|

{{#if:|

{{{header}}}

}}{{#if:Wicc imb Wicc4.jpg|

{{#if:|

{{{caption1}}}

}}

}}{{#if:Wicc imb Wicc5.jpg|

{{#if:|
{{{caption2}}}

}}

}}{{#if:Wicc imb Wicc6.jpg|

{{#if:|
{{{caption3}}}

}}

}}{{#if:|

[[file:{{{image4}}}|{{#if:305 | 305 | 200 }}px{{#ifeq::|:|||link={{{link4}}}}}|alt=]]
{{#if:|
{{{caption4}}}

}}

}}{{#if:|

[[file:{{{image5}}}|{{#if:305 | 305 | 200 }}px{{#ifeq::|:|||link={{{link5}}}}}|alt=]]
{{#if:|
{{{caption5}}}

}}

}}{{#if:|

[[file:{{{image6}}}|{{#if:305 | 305 | 200 }}px{{#ifeq::|:|||link={{{link6}}}}}|alt=]]
{{#if:|
{{{caption6}}}

}}

}}{{#if:|

[[file:{{{image7}}}|{{#if:305 | 305 | 200 }}px{{#ifeq::|:|||link={{{link7}}}}}|alt=]]
{{#if:|
{{{caption7}}}

}}

}}{{#if:|

[[file:{{{image8}}}|{{#if:305 | 305 | 200 }}px{{#ifeq::|:|||link={{{link8}}}}}|alt=]]
{{#if:|
{{{caption8}}}

}}

}}{{#if:|

[[file:{{{image9}}}|{{#if:305 | 305 | 200 }}px{{#ifeq::|:|||link={{{link9}}}}}|alt=]]
{{#if:|
{{{caption9}}}

}}

}}{{#if:|

[[file:{{{image10}}}|{{#if:305 | 305 | 200 }}px{{#ifeq::|:|||link={{{link10}}}}}|alt=]]
{{#if:|
{{{caption10}}}

}}

}}{{#if:|

}}

}}

External Links

1 }}
     | references-column-width 
     | references-column-count references-column-count-{{{1}}} }}
   | {{#if: 
     | references-column-width }} }}" style="{{#if: 
   | {{#iferror: {{#ifexpr: 1 > 1 }}
     | Template:Column-width
     | column-count: {{{1}}}; -moz-column-count: {{{1}}}; -webkit-column-count: {{{1}}}; }}
   | {{#if: 
     | Template:Column-width }} }}">