Fondazzjoni Kreattività Art Collection

The Fondazzjoni Kreattività Art Collection is a publicly owned visual art collection held by Fondazzjoni Kreattività in Valletta, Malta. The collection includes a range of works by artists who have exhibited at St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity between 2000 and 2015, and Spazju Kreattiv since 2015. The collection includes documents relating to the exhibitions.

Aquisition

Young Willie Apap in bronze by Vincent Apap, from the Fondazzjoni Kreattività art collection

When Fondazzjoni Ċentru għall-Kreattività was created to operate the St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in 2000, it immediately started putting on visual art exhibitions within the building. Over the years, many of the artists whose work was exhibited within the space donated one of the works from their exhibition through a long-established practice common in Malta in state-owned spaces used for art exhibitions. This practice has led to Fondazzjoni Kreattività amassing a substantial collection of art works, which are considered to be its permanent collection and, by extension, part of the National Collection of works of art.

In January 2016, Fondazzjoni Kreattività reviewed the way works entered its permanent collection and ceased the practice of obligatory donation from artists whose work was exhibited at St James Cavalier. Since then, new works have continued to enter the collection under arrangements that are fairer to artists. This change followed an initial research project to gather feedback from artists, curators, cultural heritage professionals and others involved in the sector. This research project included a display of some of the works from the collection, entitled Past! Present. Future? as part of the Spazju Kreattiv programme. In most cases, this was the first time the works of art had been viewed in public again since they first appeared at the original exhibition they came from.

Preservation

Following on from Past! Present. Future?, work on compiling a detailed catalogue focusing on Fondazzjoni Kreattività’s art collection at St James Cavalier continued in January 2017.

Apart from the works of art themselves, which can be considered an archived document of the artists’ work, the collection custodians set out to identify which are the most important basic elements that remain after a creative project has been exhibited to the public – the documents. Proposals, press releases, artist profiles, photos, reviews, posters, videos and other material can provide an indication of the significance of the context in which the works of art were originally presented. This material can help researchers to better understand the artworks and also the work of the artist in a broader cultural spectrum. These items are being systematically collected and archived by curators through 2017 and 2018.

The preservation of the collection includes the creation of a comprehensive catalogue set for publication in 2020. At that point, it is envisioned that the collection's relationship with the larger National Collection administered by MUŻA will also be addressed appropriately.

Public Exhibitions of the Collection

Exhibition space in St James Cavalier during the 2000-2006 retrospective of Fondazzjoni Kreattività's art collection.

Three retrospective exhibitions drawing upon artworks in the collection are being undertaken between 2017 and 2019 as part of the Spazju Kreattiv programme at St James Cavalier. The works being displayed are grouped into three annual exhibitions that each cover approximately six years of Fondazzjoni Kreattività's existence: Art from the Fondazzjoni Kreattività Collection: Documenting 2000-2006 was held during January and February 2017, Art from the Fondazzjoni Kreattività Collection: Documenting 2007-2012 was held during February and March 2018, and Art from the Fondazzjoni Kreattività Collection: Documenting 2013-2018 is proposed for early 2019.

These exhibitions are intended to draw attention to the Fondazzjoni Kreattività collection and the artists whose work feature in it, as well as provide an environment in which additional documentary information can be gathered about the artists themselves and their works. These exhibitions simultaneously feature discussion group events and other engagement activities.

See Also

• Art from the Fondazzjoni Kreattività Collection: Documenting 2000-2006
• Art from the Fondazzjoni Kreattività Collection: Documenting 2007-2012