VERSUS: Paul Scerri’s Latest Body Of Work Places Us Between Vice And Virtue
A new body of work has been launched, and it places us at the interface between vice and virtue.
Paul Scerri’s latest installation “VERSUS” is about a response to the heritage context and an investigation into the seven capital vices, Envy, Greed, Pride, Wrath, Gluttony Lust and Sloth.
It will be held in the chapel of the Inquisitor’s Palace in Birgu.
You can find the event link here.
Paul Scerri’s installation aims to contrast temptation and redemption which will place us at the border of good and bad, as he sets a solitary scene—this dinner is for one.
Each plate reflects a personal confrontation for the viewer. VERSUS connects to two art historical references shedding light on Scerri’s context.
The first reference harks back to 19th-century botanical models used for studying plant anatomy, like the Ware Collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Plants at Harvard University.
These models challenge the natural cycle of decay, showcasing life stages from blooming to decay, unlike today’s artificial flowers. They freeze the inevitable decay, mocking the idea that life isn’t just a series of temptations leading to one end.
The second reference is Judy Chicago’s Dinner Party, which turns a dinner table into an altar, emphasizing the ritual of the meal. Each plate tells forgotten, abused, and significant stories, becoming an activist work against political amnesia and victimization.
Both references, while different, provide context. VERSUS sits in the middle of the Inquisitor’s Palace, not in the dark rooms or tribunal areas, but in a chapel suffused with light.
The term ‘inquisition’ implies questioning, historically of injustice and introspection. Scerri’s ceramic works distil historic sins, confronting viewers with a mirror beneath each fruit, inviting introspection. They start with ‘Envy’ and end with an absent ‘Sloth,’ reflecting human traits.
Scerri doesn’t shy away from this self-defining confrontation; he celebrates our humanity through it. VERSUS prompts a conflict, lying “sous verre”—beneath the glass, beyond the mirrored surface.
The installation can be viewed until the end of December, and viewers will need to purchase the standard €5 museum entry fee.
VERSUS is a project curated by Andrew Borg Wirth, supported by Heritage Malta and Camilleri Paris Mode Ltd. Images are captured by Lisa Attard.
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