From the seed of an idea to its final shape, any form of art carries a lifetime of subjectivity. The spark of an idea is lit by the artist’s imagination. A painting, book, sculpture is formed by the artist’s own hands. Art is necessarily and by its very nature personal and egoistic.
The interpretation of art is also subjective, as dictated by the beholder’s learning and life experiences. Art is interpreted in a dictionary of jumelles, words with two or more meanings that are uncovered in layers of interpretation.
Despite its subjectivity, though, art in all its forms is also anchored to certain principles of objectivity. In design and architecture, for instance, objectivity is translated into a set of guidelines: within this context of objectivity, there is still freedom for the designer or architect to be subjective.
However, while allowing for subjective and cultural interpretations, most people would agree on what is beautiful and what is not. It is one of those innate, almost universal and deceivingly simple truths: a tree in spring or a majestic Valletta palazzo is beautiful, while an oil slick on water is ugly.
The Armed Forces of Malta’s new maritime base in Floriana has been criticised by most as being an ugly structure. The form, however, is dictated by its function. The structure is not intended to be beautiful – rather, it has been around the efficiency of rapidly launching patrol boats and high-speed vessels.
However, any building should be sensitive to its surroundings. This is especially true for buildings in historic sites. New or restored buildings in historic sites should converse with their surroundings rather than shout and drown the voices of history telling us stories of our past.
The maritime base certainly does not converse with the Floriana bastions and the beautiful spread of the Città Umilissima – a Unesco World Heritage Site – that surrounds it. Its grey concrete does not go with the palette of the limestone backdrop and its harsh lines do not play the same music that the impressively baritone bastions do.
Some people might still find the armed forces’ maritime base beautiful – that is a subjective judgment. Yet, the argument that the maritime base has beautified the area surrounding it simply does not hold, neither objectively nor subjectively.
Still, Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela felt he should publicly declare that the maritime base “beautified” the area. He thought this was the case because the facility – a concrete structure which cost €5.5 million to build and which was part-financed by the EU – had replaced dilapidated buildings.
What could have really beautified the area was restoring the fortifications and the Haywharf area that, for years, has lain dilapidated.
It is not too late to upgrade the area. Earlier this month, the Floriana local council said it had been promised that the maritime base – which did not follow a planning process since it fell under special provisions for buildings required for national security – would be clad in slabs having the same colour as the bastions. This would, at least, display a modicum of sensitivity.
To date, this promise has not been kept. And the beauty of the area is still in a deep and ugly slumber.