BLOW-UP: Art, Fashion And Cinema From 1960 To Today
City of Art presents BLOW-UP, a major new exhibition exploring the transformative relationship between art, fashion and cinema from the 1960s to today.
Opening at Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, on 8th November, the exhibition examines how, over the past six decades, image-making has evolved from documenting reality to actively shaping and distorting it.
Taking its title from Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1966 masterpiece Blow-Up, the exhibition reflects on how cinema once mirrored the world around it, but now, in an era of hyper-visual culture, images themselves define our perception of truth. Across four distinct rooms, the exhibition juxtaposes iconic artefacts of the 1960s with contemporary works, posing Antonioni’s enduring question: is all that remains of the real that which resists being seen?
The BLOW-UP exhibition brings together works and artefacts by or featuring, Helmut Newton, Christian Dior, Andrew Grima, Andy Warhol, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Joana Biarnés, David Hockney and Sylvia Plath, among others–a list which also includes Maltese artists.
This is City of Art’s second multidisciplinary project to be presented at Spazju Kreattiv, following the success of its previous collaboration. Alongside the main exhibition, BLOW-UP will be accompanied by an extensive public programme of talks, performances and publications.
Programme Highlights Supporting the Main Exhibition
In Conversation with Francesca Grima 8th November 2025 – Free Registration
The programme opens with a live conversation between Maltese couturier Luke Azzopardi and Francesca Grima, daughter of the celebrated jeweller Andrew Grima (1921–2007). Known as the “father of modern jewellery,” Andrew Grima redefined post-war jewellery design through his bold, sculptural approach and innovative use of materials. His clients included royalty and cultural icons and his legacy continues to shape dialogues between art, design and adornment.
This event marks Francesca Grima’s first visit to Malta, where she will reflect on her father’s life, influence and her ongoing stewardship of the Grima heritage.
Seminar & Catalogue Launch
6th December 2025 – Free Registration on cityofart.eu
Moderated by Maria Theuma, this academic seminar invites artists, scholars and practitioners to discuss the exhibition’s central themes and critical ideas. The event also marks the launch of the BLOW-UP catalogue, a richly illustrated publication that extends the exhibition into a lasting platform for interdisciplinary dialogue.
Structured in two parts, the catalogue features a visual survey of works spanning photography, cinema, performance, fashion, music and archival material, as well as a collection of original writings by local and international contributors reflecting on concepts, figures and artefacts resonant with the exhibition’s ideas. The catalogue includes contributions by a large number of contributors, artists and academics including Janet Street-Porter, Manolo Blahnik, Matthias Harder, Dominique Païni and Philippe Garner.
More than a companion volume, the BLOW-UP publication examines how visibility, power and mediation continue to shape how we see and how we are seen today.
Azzopardi Studio: Venus in Furs AW2025/26
13th December 2025 – Ticketed Event on cityofart.eu
As part of the BLOW-UP programme, Azzopardi Studio will unveil its 22nd collection, Venus in Furs, within the context of the exhibition. Founded by Maltese couturier Luke Azzopardi, the studio is internationally renowned for its philosophical approach to dressmaking, merging historical research, decadent aesthetics and couture craftsmanship into immersive, multidisciplinary presentations.
Drawing inspiration from the visual language of the 1960s, Venus in Furs reinterprets the decade’s radical artistic and cinematic shifts, creating garments that are both opulent and visionary, not of the past, but of tomorrow.
Venue: Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta
Dates: 8th November 2025 – 4th January 2026
Entrance: Free
Tickets, registration and further details on their website