Malta’s Pavilion At Venice Biennale Named As One To Watch As Molten Metal And Music Draw Eyes
Malta’s Pavilion at the Venice Biennale has been named as one of the exhibitions you absolutely need to check out if you hit up the esteemed celebration of international art.
The island’s 2022 offering, named Diplomazija Astuta, is a reworking of Caravaggio’s The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist in Valletta.
Re-imagined via the medium of music and molten steel thanks to artists Arcangelo Sassolino, Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci and composer Brian Schembri, the eye-catching installation has been receiving praise since opening.
Photo: Agostino Osio
One leading art and culture outlet, ArtReview.com, named Malta’s Pavilion alongside New Zealand’s and Latvia’s as the three pavilions you need to see. They reviewed the installation, saying:
“At times, the droplets of molten metal fall one at a time, brief specks of light in the darkened room; at other moments, they fall like raining fire, a shower of golden orange. Each drop that sinks into the water lights up the pool briefly, before its glow dies out signalling its return to solid form. Taken outside of the subject matter of the painting, there is something oddly comforting about the installation – the knowledge that even when there is a lengthy pause in the music, the droplets of metal will continue to fall; each bead of light a symbol of the possibility for fluidity and transformation.”
Photo: Agostino Osio
Photo: Agostino Osio
Curated by Keith Sciberras and Jeffrey Uslip, project managed by Nikki Petroni and Esther Flury and supported by Arts Council Malta, the team is also composed of young upcoming artists, curators, managers, art historians as well as students and interns.
Curator Keith Sciberras with two curatorial assistants and artist Arcangelo Sassolino
A group of 14 Erasmus students studying at UoM and MCAST as well as 10 curatorial assistants and site officers also contributed to the impressive project.
The Malta Pavilion will be open to the public in Venice between 23rd April and 27th November. Find out more by following this link.
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