The mechanics behind the invention of Gutenberg's printing press have inspired an exhibition of abstract art that adorns the white walls of the Culture Ministry, in Merchants Street, Valletta.
The 50 works of art are a culmination of years of study and hard work by Warti, an artists' organisation working towards the development and promotion of a national, contemporary visual culture and identity.
Warti, which combines the two words "workshop" and "art" in Maltese (Werkxoparti), brings together 14 artists, six of whom are art teachers, to explore the artistic concept of innovation, rather than imitation.
In the spirit of the workshop these 14 individuals struck a healthy debate and exchange of ideas that promoted free discussion and feedback.
Titled Out Of Print, the exhibition, which will be opened by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi tonight, is a project that speaks the individual language of each artist as they go in search of their own idiom.
"You think of a print as something that is mass produced, but each work here is a unique limited edition," said Anton Grech, the group's artistic director.
Every artist travelled back to the time when the Gutenberg press was first invented in the 1430s, using the method of "block printing" to painstakingly create each piece.
Mr Grech explained that, for example, to create the xylographs the artists had to carve the wood to produce the matrix, then applied ink before pressing down the paper to produce the end result.
Alison Camilleri, one of the artists, said she could spend up to 19 hours a day manually carving the wooden plates to print her abstract creation on delicate Chinese rice paper.
Other techniques of etchings and relief lithographs, as well as serigraphy, using a silk screen, have been adopted in this exhibition, further promoting the concept of something that is out of print.
"For most artists this is their first public exposure and we're exploiting these magnificent white walls that further promote our minimalist concept. The walls serve as a bridge between the simple frame and the image, which is presented on immaculate white paper," Mr Grech said.
"We have abandoned the idea of drawing landscapes or still life, the traditional concepts of art, to explore individual identity and each one's artistic individuality within the group."
Mr Grech hoped the public will not view the exhibition merely as a piece to be consumed, but as a lesson. He hoped art teachers would take their students to view this exhibition.
"There is a creative potential of talent in Malta just waiting to be discovered," he said.
The exhibition will remain open until December 6 at the ministry between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.