The exhibitions being held on the ground floor of the new Parliament building are causing some headaches. I saw the inaugural exhibition, displaying a series of draped curtains sewn by a group of prisoners at Corradino as part of an educational project called ‘Love, faith and forgiveness’. This did not bode well. I did not feel particularly forgiving.
The second exhibition was linked to the visually impaired. The exhibits were arranged around the hall on stands covered in bright orange plastic cloths. I finally understand the proposal to put tacky Monti stalls with red Maltese crosses outside the building. They would have blended in perfectly with those cloths.
Now, I am all in favour of educational or artistic projects teaching skills that help to reintegrate prisoners into society, once their sentence is over. Curtains and paintings made by prison inmates were on sale at Notte Bianca last year, raising funds from which they can benefit when they leave prison. This was a good initiative. Helping the visually impaired is also commendable, nobody will doubt that.
But if the Parliament foyer is to be used as an exhibition space then I sincerely hope the government engages a professional curator immediately. This has already been pointed out by some architects and art historians, and they are absolutely right.
Like any other activity, artists strive for excellence in their work and the exhibitions shown in this important national space should reflect this. This can, of course, include prisoners or raise awareness of the visually impaired. But accepting that any sculpture is as good as the next curtain, deserving the same pride of place, defuses all artistic efforts and achievements.
This is not the place to debate the finer points of aesthetics, but I trust that whoever is put in charge will obviously know a thing or two about curating exhibitions to a high standard. The new curator will hopefully also understand that art is not just an instrument to promote inclusivity, human rights, gender equality or health therapy. It can, of course, do all these things, but fitting into a specific social or political agenda is not necessary.
Let’s forget the idea that every crib exhibition, ceramic vase, coloured-paper collage or schoolgirl watercolour must go on show in the Parliament building, in order to be inclusive. This is a wrong-headed approach to inclusivity and there are other suitable places for such events, worthy as they may be. The same applies to the presidential palaces, both in Valletta and at San Anton, I might add.
A permanent exhibition of Maltese parliamentary history was originally planned for the ground floor of the debating chamber, on the other side of the building. I wonder whether this is still on the cards. I visited the Parliament building in Edinburgh last week, which has a small exhibition of Scottish parliamentary history downstairs. It is not a grand display, but it does impart a sense of pride in the institution and its achievements – and by extension, pride in the nation.
With fresh scandals popping up every other day, we seem to be watching a political snake-dance, unfolding right here on our own shores
The impressive new Scottish Parliament building by the architect Enric Maillie is situated beside the Salisbury Crags and draws inspiration from the surrounding landscape, based on the idea that it is growing out of the land with shapes of trees and plants, and using elements of oak and granite. Our own Parliament building is much smaller but equally spectacular. It also draws inspiration from its surroundings, in this case the massive shapes, colour and texture of the bastions and cavaliers.
Unfortunately we are often badly let down by the antics of those who inhabit this inspiring space, our rather less inspiring MPs. Perhaps a permanent exhibition reminding them of the struggles of our forebears to have a Maltese Parliament in the first place, with its own structures and traditions, will instil some pride and encourage MPs to behave in a manner more fitting to their position.
In spite of the odds, I do believe that the majority of our politicians are hardworking and dedicated, and not corrupt, but recurring scandals reflect very badly on the whole institution. Something needs to be done to cut out the rot, but it certainly will take more than a new Parliament building to shake up the system.
When the Enemalta fuel procurement scandal emerged just before the elections, many people were under the impression that the mother of all scandals was being uncovered. Shocking as that was, we are still wading through an entire swamp of scandals, big and small. Under every stone, a squirming mass of worms has gathered.
Further shocks were delivered by the Café Premier bailout, the Gaffarena property acquisition, and work-for-votes in Gozo. The former minister for home affairs and the former police commissioner were both obliged to resign over an alleged cover-up. And if this were not bad enough, another former police commissioner has now been fined for the leakage of internal police files to the press.
The former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh famously said that being the ruler in his country was “like dancing on the heads of snakes”. With fresh scandals popping up every other day, we seem to be watching a political snake-dance, unfolding right here on our own shores.
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